Hide and Seek
by rockpaperscissorslizardrock
Summary: AU. Brittana. In which Santana and Brittany never had that pivotal conversation with one Ms. Holly Holiday. It's the first week of college and they haven't been friends for years. What happens when they meet in the infirmary?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: What can I say? I couldn't stay away! :)

/

1.

She picked the college for its campus. Everybody knows that.

Santana Lopez could've gone just about anywhere, and certainly somewhere better than a state school; but unfortunately, she'd gone on college visits during the fall and that Goddamn foliage had worked its magic just like it was supposed to. She'd never admit it, but even she wasn't immune to color spectrums that ranged from a crisp forest green to warm amber tones. She found herself in awe of them even as she rushed to her first classes as a sophomore—in fact, it was due to her upward gaze that she slammed into Rachel in the first place. Santana would, of course,maintain that Rachel slammed into her; and her argument would hold only because it was she who would wind up unconscious as a result of the head-butt.

"Fucking spent so much time mocking that Toucan's beak on your face that I completely misjudged your five-head." Santana awakens with these words leaving her split lip.

"Gosh you're a bitch," laughs a voice.

Santana attempts to focus her eyes, but it's impossible.

"…Blinded me with that gargantuan doll head of hers…" She continues. "Hold up, did you just call me a bitch?"

"I think so?...yeah." The voice says kindly " But not like, in a mean way. In the way where that's just what you are, you know?'

"She can't see for shit, but Santana Lopez wastes no time stumbling to her feet and yanking away the curtain splitting the infirmary room in two.

"Think I was a bitch a second ago? Try me now!" She yells, still clinging to the curtain. She talks a good talk, but really everything still looks like curtain to her; splotches and colors against a white background. The voice giggles at her obvious instability. It's a familiar sound that flashes distant but fond memories in Santana's mind, but the moment passes so quickly that it barely registers.

"I'm over here!" The voice announces jovially. Even when visually impaired, Santana feels the need to impart one of her infamous 'what the fuck?' expressions.

"Don't you understand that when I find you I'm going to kick your ass? Why would you hasten your demise?

"I really don't think you could though,"

"Beat you up?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're too cute and tiny, Santana."

"Exactly who do you think you're talking to? I am not—wait, what?"

"Well…if I remember correctly, you're about an inch and a half shorter than me…and your pretty little hands haven't thrown a punch in like ever—and don't even act like those high school fights count." The voice is both bashful and ballsy.

Santana sits back on her cot and smiles nostalgically. "Quinn got a good slapping and a few hair pulls…as did Finn. Actually, Zizes got a little somethin' too." She chuckles proudly.

"…But…" The voice's smile is audible, " You've neveractually kicked ass."

Santana's forcing back a smile while racing through her memory's rolodex of altercations and gently wondering why the fuck the person knows her so well. By this point,she would've already launched herself across the room for an attack…but honestly, she never really had to go that far—with a few exceptions—because all she needed was for people to believe she would. That fear worked better than any actual exchange of blows. But this person was nowhere near scared of her and it was intriguing. She shrugs,

"I think we both know you're only being so bold because I can't get to you."

"Hm," the voice sighs then sounds much closer as it says, "Maybe."

Santana's knees buckle and consciousness escapes her.

Unfortunately, instead of coming-to while talking about Berry, it's Berry's squawking that wakes her.

"…Never saw her coming, so it wasn't my—Oh goodness, Finn. She's opening her eyes. Quickly! Act as a human shield—"

"Really don't think that's necessary, Rach. She's like, half asleep."

"Don't be fooled. Incapacitated Santana is twice the savage regular Santana is."

Finn laughs as Rachel hides behind him, peeking around his arms.

"Ugh, ShamuBerry…perfect." Santana mutters.

"Over here, Santana. Other side." Finn says, stifling another laugh.

"Haven't you heard? I'm blind. Get me an Anne motherfuckin Sulliivan because I will live out my days repeating the word 'water' by the pump."

"Umm…I think water pumps are extinct." Finn says apologetically.

"But you can try a fountain? I hear they're just as disgusting." Rachel chirps attempting to appeal to Santana's good side—which coincidently, was also on the brink of extinction.

"Just in case you'd like to live your own life and not Helen Keller's—

though hers was admittedly awesome—we brought you some contacts." Finn says, holding out an open palm with a contact lens case. Santana rolls her unseeing eyes at herself for once…of course. She desperately gropes for his handand pops the lenses in like a pro while getting up to reach for the curtain. She pulls it back. Things are still mildly blurry, but it doesn't take much squinting to realize there's an empty cot. No sheets…she died? No…it's a university infirmary…the girl probably got her pinkeye prescription and went on her merry way.

"Santana…your gown…" Rachel says meekly from behind her.

"There was someone here from high school…she thought I couldn't kick her ass…"She mumbles in response.

"Hmph…good luck finding her. Just about our whole school goes from Willy M. Elementary to Willy M. Middle, to WMHS to here…really only you—and—and Rachel—had the grades to break the cycle."

"I couldn't leave my love, " Rachel explains.

"Hey, Laverne and Shirley, is there a point to this blah blah?"

"Just that…it could've been anyone."

"But she knew me by name."

"Okay…anyone in our graduating class…of like 500…"

Santana sits back on her cot. Feeling the cold metal frameon her bare skin, she suddenly realizes why Rachel commented on the gown. She begins to tie the back.

"Well…what's she look like?" Ventures Rachel, noting Santana's preoccupied expression.

"Hello? Blind without contacts."

"Right, um…her voice? Was it melodious like mine?" Rachel gets up to assist a fumbling Santana, who resists out of habit; but soon gives in. Rachel and Finn share a knowing chuckle. Before Santana can question the exchanged look—and recognize the fleeting feeling of mockery—Quinn glides in.

"Hey! It's FDR!" Santana ridicules.

"I don't have polio," Quinn scoffs.

" Neither did he, dumbass. It was Guillain-Barre syndrome…duh."

"What? Santana, when did you become a nerd?" Quinn nods to Rachel and Finn, "Am I right?"

"First off, really think about who you're asking. Those morons wouldn't know a nerd if they were sitting next to one…Secondly, pretty sure I've always been ridiculouslyintelligent; you just can't get away as quickly anymore when you're bored of hearing my vast arsenal of knowledge."

"You'd think wheels would be faster than legs…I'm still working on my 360." Quinn mumbles, fidgeting with her chair. She perks up, "Artie can—"

"Nope. That was not an invitation to go on one of your Artie raves. 'Artie can do it on one wheel, Artie can jump a flight of stairs, Artie can suck his own—' "

"Santana!" Rachel and Quinn share an embarrassed shock.

"I told you that in confidence," Quinn hisses through gritted teeth. Finn and Santana laugh, but quickly stop themselves—Finn because he realizes it's impolite and Santana because sharing a laugh with Finn is still kind of heinous.

"I'm just saying I don't want to hear it. Just because you've changed doesn't mean I have," Santana continues.

"I'm not saying you weren't smart…you just spent more time being an asshole."

Rachel chimes in, "I agree. This new and improved Santana's much to my liking. And to think, we all swore you'd become impossible after—" Finn covers her mouthwith his own.

"Oh come—gross. Just…ew."Quinn wheels closer to the head of Santana's bed so that her back is to them. Santana dry heaves at the couple as they engage in a whisper fight. Quinn glances behind her before saying quietly,

"You ok?" with traces of a concerned smile.

"Well, these contacts haven't settled and my head's got a lightning storm inside of it, but besides that; I'm good…why? What's the damage?"

Quinn sits back in her chair, examining her friend's face carefully.

"Slightly black eyes—"

"Shit."

"Aaand …split lip…nothing too bad."

"Berry, don't be surprised if you wake up dead tomorrow," Santana calls across the room.

"I can't wake up if I'm dead, Santana."

"If that's how you want it," She shrugs.

"Oh and those contacts won't settle. They're mine. " Quinnsays.

"What? Ew."

"I couldn't find yours." Rachel interjects.

"That's because they were my last pair…fuck…I need to refill my prescription."

"Just get a referral from your primary care physician…er Dad. He can call your ophthalmologist."

"Sure Berry. I'll just get on that direct line to my parent's hut in Thailand."

"Oh that's this month? Wow morbidity and mortality seminars are really stretching those tax dollars, huh?"

"Why do doctors need to learn new shit anyway?" Santana huffs and crosses her arms.

"Well, if you'd still like neurologists to use ice picks in surgery, be my guest." The nurse appears with a smile.

Santana can see Rachel preparing to rattle off 1,000 questions, so she barks hers first.

"Whoa, What was that, Dear?" The nurse flinches at the jumbled shout that leaves Santana's throat; she'd forgotten to actually listen to herself in an effort to beat Rachel to the punch.

"Sorry, " she calms. "There was someone next door earlier?"

"Oh yes. Yesterday, but they came in at the tail end of my shift."

"What was her name?"

"Oh I'm sorry, that information's confidential." The nurse recognizes Santana's masked disappointment, "…but I know it was a freshman...and to be honest all I saw was the chart."

"Frosh? Yuck." Quinn scoffs.

"So not worth the bloody knuckles, San." Finn shakes his head.

"Ohhh… here I was thinking our little miss Lopez was trying to get her groove back. Forgot you're a fighter not a lover." Quinn smiles at Santana, knowing she's embarrassing her in front of mixed company. Feeling accomplished at the sight of Santana's blush, Quinn turns back to the nurse, "So when can we take her home?"

"As soon as she's ready. Just keep icing that nose and those stitches in your lip should disintegrate in about a week. Oh, and no sleeping for 24 hours, you just never know with a concussion. Come see me at the front desk for your discharge papers."

As her friends talk excitedly about how to use 'making it up to her' as another excuse to party, Santana dresses pensively in the handicapped bathroom. She wonders how to shake a certain "maybe" out of her head and decides that she must capture the owner of the voice and give them a face full of proof that Santana Lopez can indeed kick ass.

"Who?"

"Lopez. Santana Lopez. The Santana Lo—"

"No way! She goes here?"

"Guess so."

"What's she look like? "

"Still so beautiful,"

"Really? I heard she got fat…and I thought you said she was in the infirmary…"

"I mean, she had black eyes and a bloody lip." Brittany shrugs, "I just always thought she was pretty…"

"Even when you were best friends?"

"Sure. Didn't you? Everybody knows Santana's the—"

Brittany stops herself. She repeats a newly acquired vocabulary word in her head: "Censor"….at least that's how she thinks it's pronounced. In any case, she knows she has to start doing it when people look at her the way Tina is.

"What are you saying Britt?"

She sighs, "I'm saying I saw Santana Lopez in the infirmary and she's still a huge bitch. That's it." She throws herself on her bed.

After a while, Tina stops what she's doing, "She is really pretty."

Brittany smiles at her and replies, "It's just hard to see when she acts like a gargoyle."

It wasn't meant to be funny, but Tina doesn't stop laughing about it for the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Guess why this update's comin' at ya so quickly? Because there may not be another one for a bit…so don't hate me! But do let me know what you think :)

2.

None of Santana's friends stay up with her. Even though she insists that they're going against doctor's orders and her blood is on their hands…. it's Thursday night, and they'd rather get all their work done before the celebrations begin. She tells them to stay with her in the common room downstairs; they tell her to join them in the library. Yeah the fuck right, she responds. And do what? She has, as usual, done her work in a timely manner; spreading each assignment across the month so she's weeks ahead in all of her classes. She's never really indulged in procrastination…

As they leave, she takes Quinn's contacts out of her eyes as her own personal act of resistance. They don't really irritate her, but she has a slight headache from not being able to see clearly. She's so close to putting on her back-up glasses…the ones from fourth grade…but it's not that bad yet.

After sitting in the common room for hours attempting to watch what she thinks are Real Housewives from God knows what state, she's starting to doze. Just before her eyes close, the sofa she's curled up on jostles.

"Wakey wakey! Eggs and Bakey!" Says an all too familiar voice, and even couples it with a shove.

"Oh thank God." Santana says groggily snapping her head up.

"I know. I'm awesome and you missed me."

"No, and absolutely never. But I do need someone to keep me up or else I'll die of a concussion, and since some sort of studying Armageddon seems to have occurred, you're my only hope."

Santana turns to see a handkerchiefed head and something that resembles a pout.

"I'm not awesome?"

Santana sighs, "You're better than TV." The pout turns into a white crescent; a smile.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me…thanks so much."

Santana starts inspecting what she can only guess are bags in Brittany's hands. "Whaddaya got? Books or something? How long are you going to be down here? I'll pay you—"

"Whoa. Do I look like a time prostitute? You don't have to pay me to stay here. I'm doing lots and lots of laundry."

"Time prostitute?" Santana laughs, "More commonly known as an escort." Another white crescent appears.

"You were always so smart."

"What?"

Brittany clears her throat, "Still can't see, huh?"

"Nah. But it's cool. I mean…you kind of just look likePuck…and Holly…and JewFro…and Sam…"

"And every other person you've ever known."

"Pretty much. But you sound like, so much more familiar…I just c—"

"How many of them know about your gold glassesthough?"

"Hey! Hey! Lower your voice. No one here needs to know that I own a pair of gold glasses—"

"With tortoise shell rims."

The girls erupt in a raucous, side-splitting laughter ending with tears and shortness of breath.

"Unfortunately, too many people know about my glasses because of that time—"

Brittany is still giggling, "You lost your contacts at the fair bobbing for apples, and your dad dropped them off and made—" Brittany gasps for air, " Made you put them on or he wouldn't leave! Ha!"

"He thought he was being so helpful" Santana comes down from her laughter and sighs. They would be sharing a look if Santana could see clearly. Brittany smiles at her lovingly,

"Just get them out of your glove compartment already."

Brittany doesn't like it when Santana calls her Frosh or Freshman.

She's never hated anything in her life, so the feeling that makes her wince every time she hears the words is unfamiliar. It makes her miss her friends. It reminds her of that lonely year she spent in high school with all those strange faces she didn't care to know; or how Mr. Schue would look at her with puppy dog eyes and it would only make her mad.

It got tricky when Tina had come back to see Mike and found Brittany instead. She said she'd continue lying to Mike for her—telling him she was 'teacher assistanting for college credit'—, if Brittany promised to raise her grades enough to get into State and be her roommate the following year.

Santana and Mike have never actually spoken, so Santana has no idea Brittany's even in the same country. She doesn't even know she was held back because Brittany toldeveryone that she'd slept through graduation and had gottenin to a military school abroad. And even though they had grown so distant, Brittany knew Santana would absolutely raise hell if she ever found out the truth. In her own Santana way, of course: she'd act like it didn't faze her one bit, but show up in Figgins' office with a handful of lawyers and a million reasons why Brittany not graduating was unjust. . Yes, Brittany's well aware that Santana's super sweet and way smart. That's why she put on a strayhandkerchief from her laundry bag as soon as sherecognized the brunette on the couch—you see, Brittany's way smart too. She deduces that If Santana left theinfirmary; it meant she wasn't completely blind. But the way she'd been sitting so close to the TV and still squinting made it obvious that Brittany could maintain her semi-secret identity.

" Is it easy DZ?"

"Huh?"

"Is that what you're rushing?"

Brittany's eyes bug out, " How'd you know?"

"Uhhh no one has that much laundry…"

"Maybe I run an orphanage… and I don't even go to this school."

"I'm so sure…you already gave yourself away, Frosh."

"Don't call me that," she finally musters up the courage to say. "And don't call it easy DZ…it's mean."

"It's also true. I rushed last year…I know."

"Sounds like someone's bitter."

"Wooow, you're really pulling for that ass whoopin', huh?"

Brittany laughs. "I should just leave you here to fall asleep."

Santana responds with a half smile. Then she bows her head before making an attempt to lock eyes with the fuzzy shape before her,

" Just be careful. I'm a bad bitch…but those girls are just nasty."

Brittany shrugs and thinks about how she could really use the friendship.

After a while, Santana can feel Brittany's gaze on the side of her face. She's just come back from drying another load and Santana's been absently folding the clothes that appear in front of her. She drops the shirt in her hands and says,"Just ask!"

Brittany was really just taking her in. It'd been so long since she'd seen gotten to see this face; those gently curled lashes; that perfect profile. Heard this voice. Felt the warmth of this presence. She was remembering what caramel skin felt like under her fingertips... when she's startled out of her swoon by Santana's demand.

"Wha-? Huh?.." Brittany gulps.

"You want to know why I didn't make it in to the sorority, right? "

"Oh! Y-yes. Yes I do. That's exactly what I was wondering." Brittany nods.

Santana averts her eyes momentarily, "I couldn't do it. This. Everyone's laundry…it literally made me vomit."

Brittany guffaws. "Oh my God!"

"Shut up!" Santana crosses her arms. "It was so gross!Nothing like this…they had it out for me, I'm telling you…those girls are really nasty. They put…ugh I can't. They must've soaked their clothes in—" Santana can't finish her sentence because she begins gagging, and Brittany is rolling around the couch laughing at the spectacle.

They talk until about 2am and Santana discovers that Brittany doesn't even live in her building. Her 'Big Sisters' do. Santana helps her fold all 45 loads, only to keep her self awake of course, and Brittany only leaves because she has to drive around campus giving each person's clothes back;and she'd like to get it done before her 8am class. Santana helps her pack the car…rather inefficiently since her vision is basically useless in the dark…and whispers a 'thanks' asBrittany slides into the drivers' seat smiling.

Noah Puckerman keeps his girlfriend awake for the rest of the night. Not in the way he'd like…but whateves. He finally makes his way back from the library when she calls him to say she's going to fall asleep in his room …in his roommate's bed. They do go to his room, but end up playing NBA 2K11 because he really loves how good she is at it. She likes that he knows all these unlocked codes, but she can beat him by randomly pressing buttons in quick succession. They've always been just like this; Comfortable, casual, and convenient. They've become pretty good friends ever since they stopped having so much sex. Puck doesn't really wonder why, but he also doesn't sleep around as much either. He knows Santana would go all Lorena Bobbitt on his ass if he tries it—he was only allowed to see other girls and go as far as sloppy seconds with them (under the shirt, over the bra). This isn't high school, she'd say. This is real fucking life, and I recently realized that I'm so much better than you. He'd nod profusely…he knew he was hot, but this girl had always been way out of his league. And with that in mind, she'd continue, I've decided to respect myself. I'm a born again virgin. And when I'm ready to give you some of this, only then will you get you some.

She'd only been ready about twice in the year and 3 monthssince they'd graduated. But Noah Puckerman had come to some realizations as well. He'd realized that he truly loved women. He just liked taking them out. He liked how they made him feel. And he could feel special without sex…infact; it made him feel better that women wanted him so much more when he withheld.

She keeps him as her boyfriend because he's safe. Andattractive. And she can say no without feeling insecure. And frankly, it takes her off the hook; she doesn't have to pretend to want him because their desire for each other is superficial. He knows there's someone else and if he'd ever paid any attention he would know exactly who.

Brittany hand delivers every single load of laundry with the biggest smile on her face. Every girl looks just like Santana. Every stop sign. The steering wheel of her car…

She's had a crush on her best friend ever since they'd met in kindergarten…before she even knew what a crush was. All she knew was that there was this pretty little girl who always seemed to be laughing in the time out chair. And she loved her. Simple as that. Brittany came to realize that the girl would end up getting in trouble for the things she did trying to get her attention. So they'd end up sharing a laugh from opposite ends of the room. They had their first play date in Santana's gigantic house. The afternoon was spent running up and down flights of stairs and spying on Santana's big brothers. Brittany remembered asking why they were as tall as buildings, Santana explained that her family had moved from their old house just before Santana was born; and since her mother would always say the boysate her out of house and home, she suspected that was probably why. People who eat houses are big, she shrugged.

As they grew, so did Brittany's infatuation, but Santana would remain aloof…even though she was the one who'd initiate their more intimate encounters.

Santana had suggested teaching Brittany to kiss before their first boy-girl party.

Santana had been the first, and most delicate, person to touch Brittany over and under her shirt.

When Brittany asked, Santana said she'd let her touch her under her pajama bottoms, but only if she got to do the same.

But these moments occurred in a world separate from high school, with a different Santana. The Santana who kissed back, who woke up tickling her arm, who helped her do her homework.

Not the Santana who didn't show up….

The reality was that Brittany knew she was doomed.

There was no loving Santana Lopez.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

She just can't help but put every single available topping on her sundae. They probably won't taste good together: strawberries with heath crumbles; Reese's pieces with gummy bears...but it's still heaven in her eyes. Her heart swells at the sight of every sweetness she'd ever wanted, gathered for her indulgence.

She cups her towering bowl of what amounts to mostly toppings, a scoop of strawberry, and two of vanilla; as she settles across from Tina at the dining hall.

"Jeez Britt…you act like this doesn't happen every singleFriday night."

"I'm not sure why I'm surprised every time…it's like the best version of the movie Groundhog Day." She says taking a heaping spoonful in to her mouth.

"You know what would make this even more wonderful?"

"Wha?" Brittany says with pink drippings escaping the corners of her lips, though she knows exactly what's coming.

"If we were laughing over it with the rest of our friends," Tina looks away slyly, licking her single scoop cone ofblackberry ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.

Brittany brings her mouth to one side of her face as sheswallows and frowns at her sundae. Tina continues,

"We spent all freshman year hanging out, they're starting to wonder why I don't even eat with them any more."

"I keep telling you…you can eat with them," Brittany mumbles.

"What, and leave you alone? Why can't you just come with me… tell them you transferred?…Or I don't know…be honest? I know you can't wait to see them."

Brittany was starting to consider, after three weeks of goading, the prospect of coming clean to her friends. She was even going to tell the truth. But after she encountered Santana, it would be impossible. It was likely that they didn't all eat together for every meal, so maybe she could see some of them without Santana…but …maybe not. Then again, Santana had remained friends with the very people she despised, so really, any thing was possible. Brittany simply could not take the risk. She was definitely not ready to tell Santana…about anything.

She'd already tried that once.

She takes a deep breath before letting the suggestion spill from her lips. Most things that confuse her aren't worthcaring about, but this matters. They matter. She matters.When Santana gives an almost invisible shrug in responseto the proposition, Brittany is over the moon, and the stars,and the world so high. She's been locking it up inside for so long it's become a physical ailment. Every time she doesn't get to lovingly catch Santana's entire hand in her own and has to settle for the smallest little inch of pinky instead, rots her insides that same amount. She wants to share looks with her like they do in her bedroom while they study; when one of them sighs out of frustration then looks to the other for an easy smile and some kisses. She doesn't want to have to watch Puck touch what's always been hers. And she certainly doesn't want to have to settle for Artie anymore…

So when she sits with Holly on the floor of the classroom, she grins excitedly with every confidence that she's about to have everything she wants and nothing she doesn't;starting now. Because she's going to explain how badly she wants to be with her best friend. The whole way. Andmaybe she'll finally find out what Santana feels, or wants, …if she feels and wants…

Holly ends up watching Brittany cry for the better part of an hour while rubbing her back and humming some unfamiliar lullaby. The girl shakes and hiccups; stopping, then realizing what has just happened and widening her eyes to start all over again. "Oh my God" She'd mumble. Her entire life was now in shambles, when it was supposed to be pieced together.

Santana didn't try apologizing until exactly a month later, when she could look Brittany in the eye with out needing to turn away and fall apart. But by that time it was too late; they were no longer on speaking terms. This would last for a while, until slowly, they'd start nodding to acknowledge each other's presence and by the time graduation came around they'd started exchanging full sentences again…but something had died. And it certainly wasn't Brittany's love. She wished so bad that it was too, because then she could finally feel nothing; but to her dismay, that was the only thing that seem to have survived.

"I don't understand why you have to be so difficult."

"Berry, you have no idea how to throw a party. You are seriously awful at this."

"If you want to spend the entire next day cleaning, then do it your way. As usual, you'll be wishing you'd listened to me instead."

"Rachel Elmo Berry…my wishes will never, ever, in the amount of years it took to measure the bangs that could balance out that nose, have your name attached to them.Unless, of course, they're death wishes. Those pretty much always have to do with you."

Rachel rolls her eyes and feeds her specially made toffee nut sundae to Finn's waiting mouth as they sit in a dining hall on the exact opposite side of campus from Brittany and Tina.

"Why even plan this? We never do. I say we fill a Wifflebat with beer, make a random mix CD and wait for the honeys to flock to the hive." Puck announces.

"Not all of us are interested in honeys" Quinn responds.

"Yes, some of us enjoy coupling up with other Tonkas to create a giant Hess truck." Santana smirks.

"Fuck you, San. I hope that Frosh finds you and follows through with her challenge. "

"You girls are obsessed with this chick…Santana won't shut up about her..." Puck says absently, shaking then shooting a stolen can of whipped cream into his mouth.

Santana punches him full force on his chest. He chokes and spits the white fluff across the table.

"Serves you right, Dick. Watch what you say."

"Oh, have you started your first phase of college experimentation?" Rachel says, intrigued. "They say it starts with girls, then inanimate objects, then gradually moves on to elderly professors."

"No, Berry. He's talking about the girl whose ass I still need to kick. From the infirmary?"

"I honestly can't believe you haven't let that go." Quinn says, reaching for a strawberry in Santana's bowl. Santana slaps her hand away, "You let that go!"

"Well, let me know when you start your phases, I don't want to get left behind." Rachel says through a disgusted expression as she wipes Puck's mess.

"Well after she saw her in the common room—"Puck continues droning on and Santana widens her eyes in disbelief as she turns to face him.

"See if I ever tell your big ass mouth anything again! Shutup Puck!"

"Oh…was that a secret?"

"What's the big deal? Now you know where she lives…knock on her door and punch her in the face." Quinn shrugs.

"That's what I said!" Puck exclaims.

"Verbatim." Santana nods. "Listen, I'll handle this, Ok? It's a matter of… honor." She lies.

"So…why didn't you just take care of it in the common room?"

"Oh I…had taken out the lenses so…"

"Because you're vision's so clear with them on."

"Whatever. I-I was tired….I'll handle it I said. Just shut upabout it."

Santana gets up to leave in a huff. In a few minutes, Finn and Rachel follow.

As soon as they're gone, Quinn continues to eat the strawberries Santana left behind saying,

"She's not gonna handle shit."

Puck shakes his head with a knowing frown, "I swear to God Brittany must've taken all of the fiest out of that girl when they stopped being friends."

"Fiest isn't a word Puck."

"When you're fiest-y, you have fiest… we're in college now Quinn…you have got to start stepping your knowledge game up."

"How you got into State, I'll never know…it's like Britt and military school…unbelievable."

"So that's true?"

"Yup."

"Where is it?"

"Oh I dunno…"

"Now that would make Santana's party."

" What? Oh, Britt? I was thinking of stopping by the Pierce's tomorrow since I haven't heard back fromh her..."

"Maybe they can give us her contact so she can Skype in some of those smokin' dance moves."

"Um us? Who invited you?"

"I did. You wanna put those kinda miles on your hoopty?"

There are alarms. So many lights too. She knew they were coming, but it doesn't make it any less frightening. They told her she had to stay inside the whole time and risk getting a write up. They've made her do manual labor,gotten her sick, and humiliated her to no end; but this is by far the worst of it. This she has to endure alone. And most of all, she could get kicked out of school. Nobody takes fire drills seriously, but Brittany knows— because many of her Big Sister's are —that staying inside the dorms isgrounds for anything from a meeting with the resident director to expulsion. She asks them if they would protect her should she get caught; they say, don't get caught. She asks them if she can at least do it in her own building; theyshake their heads, not trusting her to follow through.

RAs will be protected because they're only accountable for students in their rooms, everyone else knows better than to stick around. If nothing else, students like to avoid the two hundred and fifty dollar fine attached to breaking this rule.It's a test of loyalty. If a fire marshal should happen to check the common room, which is highly unlikely, they say, will she take the punishment; or turn her back on her sisters?

Brittany's holding her ears and squeezing her eyelids together. She doesn't understand why it's necessary for the warning lights to be such intense strobes and why the bells have to be positively deafening. She can feel her heart in her fingertips, which are resting around her temples; mirroring the pulse they find there. It's too much, and the tears start to gather just above the swell of her cheeks. She begins to curl into herself; but before she can get into a full fetal position, there's a hand at the crook of her elbowleading her out. Keeping her eyes closed, she barely hears a voice attempting to chastise her about something. The door to the common room slams shut and suddenly, she'sbeing brought down steps. A second door shuts and finally,the blaring is muffled. She can see through her eyelids thata faint flashing remains though. It shouldn't matter now.She'd better take advantage of this dull and retreating noiseand the slow motion this moment has lapsed into. She can use the time and silence to think of what she's going to say when she finds herself in front of this fire marshal, then the RA, and eventually her parents. A third door opens, but Brittany does not feel the biting cold of autumn as she expects. In fact, it's even warmer wherever she is now…and it smells weird.

She opens her eyes and has to blink a few times to make sure they aren't still closed; this darkness is unforgiving.She unglues her hands form her ears just in time to hear,

"I said you should open your eyes because what just happened was the most literal interpretation of the blind leading the blind that I've ever experienced. Didn't you hear me?"

Brittany exhales and smiles. There will be no trouble…well…

"Santana?'

"Don't even try asking me what I'm doing here because I asked you first."

"Sure didn't."

"Sure did. Perhaps if you'd un-clapped your ears you'd have heard me. I was yelling for Christ's sake."

"I don't know if you noticed, but there were these alarms? There's no way I'd ever be able to hear you…earmuffs or no earmuffs."

Brittany sounds so earnest that Santana's almost convinced there wasn't even a splash of sarcasm attached to her tone.

"Ok…" She says softly. "Hear me now, what are you doinginside?"

There is a heavy silence. Santana can tell that Brittany's looking at the floor even though she can't see her. Theembarrassment is tangible. Santana flinches in the dark when a similar sense of mortification catches her as if by contagion, but it's not the mortification that catches her off guard; it's the twinge of compassion.

"Oh." She responds before Brittany has the chance to. "Well…" She shrugs, "I never leave during these things.Ever. That's why I'm here. And you know how many times I've been caught? Goose egg. I just stay right here…well actually in the bathroom… in the basement. Fuck checks down here, right?"

Brittany remains silent.

"It's too fuckin' cold." She continues nervously. "Toofuckin' cold and it's a waste of my time. I feel like afriggen rat …being timed on how long it takes me to leave a building…please."

Brittany's shrug goes unseen. "I guess," She finally says after a while. "I like it though. I like when my cheeksfreeze up. Feels good."

"You don't know what good feels like then." Santana mutters.

Silence again.

"Oh yes I do, " Brittany says, from behind Santana's right shoulder. She draws back and gasps at the surprise, crashing right into Brittany's front. She bounces forward again the second they touch. But Brittany stays directly behind Santana, knowing from the heat around her that she's only a centimeter away. "Sometimes good feels like ice," She whispers into jet-black waves. "…andsometimes…" she brings her hand up Santana's side without touching her, just tracing the curve of her hip with the temperature of her fingertips …"It's warm."

Santana's nod is almost invisible, but her shiver is obvious.

"Trouble doesn't feel good though. I don't like being in trouble." Brittany continues, just beginning to curl her fingers around Santana's hair when the lights come on.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: The suggestion, the shrug, the falling out…all will be explained…thanks for your questions :) Oh and yes, pretty much the whole Glee club ended up at the same college; Brittany lied about being accepted to military school (she doesn't actually go there) because she was ashamed of being held back. Only Tina knows the truth. Brittany graduated a year later and is now attending the same school as everyone else as a freshman while they're all sophomores.

4.

Before Brittany cried. Before she and Holly had chosen which classroom to occupy. Before Brittany had decided which adult it would be best to talk to—Santana had responded to her suggestion with a tiny shrug.

One second she was fiddling with her favorite blond ponytail, and the next Brittany wanted answers. Santana had heard her say they should speak to an adult, but even as she let her shoulders rise and fall, as if to say 'ok', she knew she wasn't going to show up. She didn't know what it meant to Brittany, though. She didn't know what Brittany had gone through to pick the right adult; one who they could both trust to keep whatever secrets they might have.She wasn't aware of the time that had gone in to even coming up with the idea of speaking to someone outside their circle. Brittany had spent nights awake, rolling tens of thousands of possible solutions in her mind before coming to this one. Santana didn't know what good could come ofconfiding in Holly Holiday. So she didn't show. They never had the conversation that may or may not have lead to the acknowledgement of something more than a friendship. She had assumed that Brittany would pick some obvious teachers like Ms. Pillsbury, or worse…Schue. Perhaps if she had known, she wouldn't have been so scared. Or maybe…she did know and it terrified her all the more…being vulnerable; having to hear how much Brittany wanted her…having to confess she felt the same way. No. She wasn't ready. She simply couldn't do it. So she didn't go. They never confessed. And neither of them had any idea how the other one felt.

/

Puck smirks because he'd forgotten how good Quinn looks in his car. Her hair has grown out just past her shoulders and she resembles the girl he'd met in high school. She's that perfect mix of sunny and snarky once again. He catches her playing with the radio as he ducks into the drivers' side and decides he'll let her change his favorite stations because… let's face it, she's the mother of his child.

"Quinn-tuplet and Puck-er Up….at it again." He announces.

"Good Lord what have I gotten myself into." Quinn sighs as she finds a song she likes.

Puck smiles and starts the car; "We get an early start and come back in time to set up for the party tonight."

"Let's just hope she doesn't flake."

"Who, Santana? It's her friggen party…there's no flaking."

"Well she did this morning…Just tell her we were supposed to have breakfast, and that next time she decides to sleep at your place—"

Puck creases his brow as he begins to drive, "…what are you talking about?"

"I haven't seen her since the fire drill last night and I just figured she must have gone to your place after."

"Nope. Haven't seen her."

Quinn blinks as her confusion morphs into concern,

"I mean, I know she always disappears during fire drills…but we usually meet up at the room later…or at least the next morning."

"She hasn't called?"

"No. Did she call you?"

"No."

/

Santana flew to the nearest wall—and away from Brittany— before the basement was even fully illuminated. Luckily, there was nothing in her way because she would have most definitely crashed into then fallen over it. She couldn't see who had turned on the lights, but Brittany sure could and she knew immediately what she had to do: make a deal. As she approached the Fire Marshal, he bellowed,

"Ladies—"

"Just wait." Brittany says to the official as she looks back and watches Santana slowly grope her way towards them. Then she begins to whisper. "She's blind. She can't get in trouble, 'kay? Just take me and I'll accept the charges… or whatever."

"Ma'am are you sure—"

"Just don't say my name and take me away. Whatever you do, just don't say it. She's blind!"

Santana is now coming to a stop directly behind Brittany. She's so close that she can smell her shampoo and make out the intricacies of blond waves falling across the hood of a sweatshirt. But the figure's being whisked away before Santana can get out her sentence.

"I'm not blind." She whispers to a now empty room. If she can get this close, in a room this well lit, and have the girl turn around, then she'll know who.

/

"Ralph! Ralph! It's Quinn Fabray and that Puckerman boy! Ralph!"

Quinn and Puck smile from the other side of the door as they hear Brittany's mom squeal excitedly. The woman with the short blond curls and wild blue eyes pulled back the curtain from a window surrounding the front door, and started yelling with a smile on her face. As is courtesy when encountering a friend's parents, Puck and Quinn hold their own wrists behind their backs and look to the ground bashfully when the door opens.

"Quinn! Oh you're so beautiful, Quinn! Isn't she beautiful Ralph?" Mrs. Pierce grabs the girl into a ferociousembrace.

"Marla, you're going to kill her! Come on in Noah. Marla, let them in for Christ's sake."

Noah and Quinn look to each other and laugh as Mr. and Mrs. Pierce fuss over them and finally lead them to the living room where they sit on a big brown corduroy couch.The Pierces settle on separate recliners across the room.

"I'm sorry kids, Brittany's not in right now." Sighs Mrs. Pierce.

Puck gives Quinn a sidelong glance. "Uh, yeah…we know she's um…away."

"Well, she comes around for laundry every once in a while. But since she started school, we really don't see her as often as we'd like."

"You can do that?" Puck says, flabbergasted.

"What? Laundry at home? Well sure Noah, just 'cause your in college doesn't mean Mom and Dad go away, Dear! I'm sure yours would love if you came home for—"

"No, I mean. Brittany's kind of far for that isn't she?"

"Just as far as you, Darling." Mrs. Pierce looks to her husband with a questioning smile.

Quinn's been trying to follow the conversation, but now she's thoroughly lost so she speaks up,

"You're saying that Brittany, in her military school; which is somewhere abroad, can come home often enough to do laundry?"

This time the Pierces share a look and burst into a fit of laughter.

"Quinn, I've never known you to be a jokester; it's refreshing!" Mr. Pierce cackles.

"No seriously. What are you guys talking about? Britt's going to a military school abroad, right?"

"Noah Dear, I told your mother to keep an eye on you with those drugs…you should really take heed." Mrs. Pierce's brow furrows as she looks between the boy and Quinn.

"That's what Brittany told us, Mrs. Pierce. When we all graduated she—"

"Well Brittany just graduated this past June, Sweetheart. Did she not tell you? I was wondering why no one showed. I know Santana broke her little—"Mrs. Pierce starts.

"Whoa Whoa What? She's not away? She's here?" Quinn jumps up.

"Yes, dear." Mrs. Pierce looks to her husband with concern. "She goes to your school…are you not…did you not…?"

"She told us she got into a foreign military school last year. She told us she slept through graduation…she's been here this whole time?"

"Well…in highs school, but …yes. I suppose so. You know Britt's never been one for lying or sneaking around. It had to have been for a good reason." Mrs. Pierce stands and puts her arm around an aggravated Quinn. Quinn steps out of her embrace nodding with a weak smile.

"Well," Puck slams his palms on his thighs as he stands up. "This has been sufficiently awkward. We actually came here to invite her to a party for Santana…but I guess we can do that in person now."

"Oh Brittany wouldn't go anyway. That Santana really made a mess of things." Mr. Pierce shakes his head.

"It's just a silly argument. Probably about some boy," Quinn glances quickly at Puck and continues, "They'll have to get over it some time."

Quinn and Puck leave and both Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are well aware that neither of them knows what they're talking about. There was nothing silly about what happened between Santana and Brittany. And even though their daughter hadn't gone into details, they remembered hearing the gentle clatter of a shattered heart as she moped around the house for that last year of high school.

/

"Santana," Rachel finishes her sentence as carefully as possible, "what did you do?"

"I told you, Berry. They finally found my Fire Drill hiding spot."

"I heard you the first time, but how could you be so careless? It could have been your last strike."

Sometimes Santana goes to Berry's room alone when she knows Mercedes isn't around. Actually, it's only become tradition after the last two times she got written up. Berry's annoying…excruciatingly so, but she's always known how to fix Santana when she's at the end of her rope. She's not sure why, but Berry's the only person she trusted when she'd been in despair over Brittany. She had let Rachel see her cry. She'd reluctantly come to her for advice. She'd stayed at her house when home reminded her too much of her best friend. Rachel was often over the top, but when it came to sensitive matters of the heart, she applied just the right amount of coddling and spoke as little as possible. It made Santana feel safe.

"I know," Santana finally responded looking to the floor. She was sitting on the side of Rachel's bed letting her feet hang like a little kid. Rachel was organizing her desk to keep from putting her hand on her hip and scolding her friend like an angry mother. She knew it was the last thing she needed.

"I don't know why you would…well…. It could be worse…like when you were drunkenly ripping down whiteboards….At least that freshman covered for you this time."

Santana chuckles. "That was fun…." Then she sighs, "I'm not going to let that girl take the blame though."

Rachel turns to her, "Be smart, Santana."

"Whatever." Santana stands up, "I don't even care." Sheshrugs and leaves.

Rachel shakes her head as she turns back to her task.

"Oh yes you do."

Santana had gone to Rachel's just after the fire drill thenslept outside of the Resident Director's office; having overheard that The Freshman's meeting was scheduled for 8am the following morning. She was really listening for a name, but none came. She could have gone back to her dorm, but the waiting room couch was surprisingly comfortable.

"Oh my God what're you doing?" Brittany nearly faints at the sight of Santana's disheveled body; as if she weren't already out of sorts and nervous enough about having to go to this meeting in the first place—and now this.

Santana shifts and raises her brows before opening her eyes.

"You are not taking the wrap for me. This isn't some street gang. Nobody covers for Santana Lopez."

"That'd be more convincing if you weren't half asleep on a couch…or referring to yourself in the third person…" Brittany rolls her eyes.

Santana ignores her as she watches the Resident Director approach them, coffee in hand.

"Santana, long time no see." She says smiling. "And you must be—"

"Catherine. I'm calling in my favor." Santana interrupts—she immediately regrets having missed an opportunity to get The Freshman's name.

"What favor? Santana…why don't we go inside and—"

"No. I want this done now. She"— Santana nods her head towards Brittany—"made a mistake. But I stayed inside onpurpose. Please just let her off with a warning and I can take the write up…"

"And the probation? That means checking in with your R.A. for curfew by 9pm for a week…"

Santana shifts her weight from foot to foot and crosses her arms.

"Ugh. Yes. Fine. I'm done next Saturday though, right? I can go out after that?"

"That's the deal. But are you sure you want to do this?" Catherine comes in closer for privacy and lowers her voice, "I'd let you both completely off the hook, but the higher ups are on my ass about this and somebody's got to get take the heat…You do know this'll be your final write up before—"

"Yes, I know. And yes I'm sure."

"No!" Brittany finally finds her voice after watching the exchange in disbelief. "No! No! No!" She repeats.

"Too late. It's done."

Santana walks away as Catherine shrugs and enters her office, closing the door behind her. Brittany remainsdumbfounded as she follows Santana to the elevators. Shehad emotionally prepared herself to take full responsibility, but once again Santana had turned the tables.

/

"I said no Puck!"

They were stopped at the notoriously long red light just outside of campus.

"Quinn, I can't be held responsible for my actions. Santana will just about worship me if I get to be the one who tells her."

"No one. We tell no one. We find Brittany and we investigate."

Puck shakes his head and presses the gas as the light turns green, "Fine, but only if we get to corner her and ask her what this bullshit's about. I mean, why would she notwanna hang out with us? And how has she avoided us for so long?"

"It's not that hard. This campus is huge."

"So what makes you think we can track her down?"

Quinn squints her eyes and juts her head backwards as they pause at a cross walk.

"Well…we can start by asking her." Puck follows Quinn's gaze to a familiar blond head just a few feet ahead of them that he'd often confused for Brittany in the past.

/

"Why did you do that?" Brittany mumbles to Santana's back.

She's been standing like that, facing the door, ever sinceBrittany had caught up to her in the elevator of the Residential Life building. Neither of them had pressed a button and since 8ams had just started and students and professors alike were filing into classrooms, the elevator car stood still. It was small and dim. No one really came into this building, not even the resident director, unless they absolutely had to. It was really more of a storage facility or a place for meetings. There were no dorms, classes were not held here. It consisted primarily of unused office space.

Santana pressed her forehead against the control panel. Brittany leaned back against the opposite corner.

"I don't know." Santana finally answered. "I really don't know. You remind me of someone…who…"

"Who what?" Brittany 's eyes light up, but she tries not to change her tone.

"Who…I know isn't here anymore."

"Are they dead?" Brittany smiles knowingly.

"No…"Santana sits cross-legged on the floor of the elevator. "She's not dead. She's gone though. Far, far, away. She didn't even tell me where…"

"Why do I remind you of them?"

"Well, if I didn't hear from her own mouth that she was going abroad, I'd swear to God that you were her."

Brittany pulls her lips into her mouth and raises her brows turning away on her heels.

"Brittany doesn't lie….ever...so….Anyway, that's who you sound like, who you remind me of," Santana continues. "You remind me of my…my best friend."

"Oh." Brittany clenches her jaw at what she's about to say, "I thought you were going to say something else."

"Like what?' Santana looks up at Brittany's back now.

"Like um, like girl…girlfriend. I thought you were going to say girlfriend."

"Why in the world—"

"Well, you protected me back there…that's like something you do for someone you love. Like…really love. And if I ,you know, remind you of…someone you'd do that for…someone you love…I just thought…" Brittany turns again and slides her back down a wall so she's sitting at the corner diagonal from Santana.

Santana bites her lip and plays with the carpet on the floor.

"I didn't' say…I don't…love her."

"But…" Brittany gulps at her at her own deception. "She's just your best friend."

"She's not just my best friend. She is my best friend…and some…one…I…"

Santana shakes her head stopping herself. She's still playing with the carpet and tears have started rolling out of her cloudy eyes. She takes out the contacts. Without them and in the sparse light, dim turns to dark. She can still make out the figure, but just barely. Brittany gulps again.

"I don't want you to cry." She says holding back her own tears.

"I don't wanna cry either," Santana whimpers.

"Okay. Okay. Just um. Lie on your back. Just lie on your back and I'll tell you a story."

Santana sighs because the thought of putting her skin on this disgusting carpet is almost enough for her to say no. But with the looming thought of her third strike and the absence of her best friend…she'll do just about anything to feel better.

She lies down with her hands folded over her stomach and involuntarily closes her eyes. Her outstretched legs have the tips of her sneakers almost touching one end of the elevator car while the top of her head nearly touches the other. Brittany kneels by her bent elbow and looks her over. Santana was wearing the same loose sweats and tight pajama shirt last night. Her hipbones are making an appearance in the sliver of skin that shows as her body settles. Brittany stares at them, takes a deep breath and starts,

"I… had a best friend once..."

Santana frowns.

"…She was …" Brittany absently puts a hand through Santana's loose curls. Santana sighs peacefully. "The sweetest person. She would have done exactly what you just did for me." Her hand reaches the end of a strand of hair and she lets her fingertips fall to Santana's shoulder, trailing her fingertips towards the collar of her shirt, then back to the same shoulder and down the short sleeve.

"If she ever found out…that I was um..."

"What?" Santana's eyes flash open.

Brittany's fingertips stop, until Santana looks down at them and back at the shadowy face above her.

"Th-that I was held back…she would have done just what you did."

"It was dumb." Santana shakes her head and closes her eyes again. Fingertips are at her elbow now. "If I get in trouble again, I'm kicked out. I just shouldn't have donethat."

Santana feels fingertips reach her palm. A middle and forefinger walk across to her thumb, skip up to her hipbone and pause before walking across to the other hip. She smiles.

"What're you doing?" She giggles. She hears a sigh and the hand stops as a line of body heat forms along her right side. Brittany is now lying on her side, perched on her elbow dancing her eyes over the figure before her. She sees a crease beginning to form between Santana's brow and instinctively places an open palm over the girl's stomach. The crease disappears.

"Then don't get in trouble." Brittany murmurs.

Santana licks her lips and lets out a shaky breath. "Wh-what happened to your best friend?"

"Nothing," Brittany shakes her head. "That's a lie. I'm still pretty mad at her."

"Why?" Santana turns to her with her eyes still closed, and if Brittany weren't leaning on her elbow, they would be nose to nose. From above, they look like a couple in bed;Brittany sidled up on Santana, Santana relaxed on her back and facing her.

"I loved her. Very much. She was stunning, like you." Brittany's hand drags up between Santana's breasts, past her sternum and rests on her chin.

"She had these great big eyes, and this sweet little face."

"But," Santana opens her eyes to a silhouette. "Why are you mad?"

Brittany doesn't answer. Her hand snakes back down Santana's front and finds it's way up her shirt. Santana'sbreath hitches and she turns toward the ceiling, but letsBrittany caress her ribs. A thumb grazes the under-swell of her breast. The hand moves back in the other direction andfingertips play just under the band of her sweatpants.

"Didn't you want to fight me?" Brittany breathes into her ear.

Santana sighs and shakes her head slowly.

"I guess I don't want to fight anymore either."'

Brittany's fingertips don't move further down. They're just above the line of Santana's underwear and Santana's beginning to fidget; wanting her to either stop or go. One or the other.

"She used to make me feel like this, you know? Like I wanted to jump out of my own skin. A big tease. But when she followed through…it was always worth it." Brittany inhales deeply and shifts, her lips ghosting the shell of Santana's ear. "She'd make me wait, and give me these looks like she would take me right there. Wherever we were. Because she knew I wanted her so bad. So so bad.But the best part," Brittany has been watching Santana. Her eyes are still closed, her left hand is underneath the arch of her back, but suddenly her right is at Brittany's knee, tickling up her thigh, encouraging her.

"The best part," Brittany attempts to steady her voice " is how she made me feel. She never knew how she made feel. When she was mine, all alone. I was like the only person in the entire world. Attention from S- her, was like nothing else."

Santana's hand has reaches the warmth between Brittany's thighs. It just settles there. Flattens out between her legs, only the pinky coming dangerously close…

Brittany lets her own hand travel up, cupping Santana's bare breast. Drawing her thumb back and forth over a taught nipple. Watching Santana concentrate and bite her lip as she does so.

"Feels good." Santana mutters.

The elevator jumps and the hand is gone. Brittany's on her feet in a second and hoisting a dazed Santana up with her.

"Told you I know what good feels like." Brittany whispers in her ear as the doors open.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for the questions and suggestions!

5.

It could only be a matter of time before either Santana's parents came back with her prescription, or Santana gave in and got her glasses from the glove compartment. AndBrittany knew it. Most of her wanted to remain anonymous and keep asking the questions she never dared to before. But the smallest part of her wanted Santana to know. And then maybe everything could go back to normal…right? Or at least they could talk; as Brittany and Santana not as Blind Girl and Freshman. Brittany sighed as she entered her sister's dorm room. She saw no irony in the fact that this "Big Sister" was actually her big sister. Technically she was a legacy in the sorority she was rushing—

"Brittany?"

Oh shitty shit shit.

"What—what are they doing here?" Brittany holds thedoorknob behind her back, prepared to run. Though she knows it's too late, they've already seen her.

"Holy shit, Britt." Puck stands from his seat on the futon. "What are you doing here?"

Quinn scowls and glares fire in Brittany's direction. Sara, Brittany's sister, merely smiles and says,

"So like I said. She lied…isn't that right, Britt?"

Brittany shakes her head no, but hears the word 'yes' escape her lips. She has no idea what to do. First, she wants to tell Puck that he should never EVER shave a Mohawk in his head again. He looks like a completely different person.Though, Quinn, much like herself, has never looked more unchanged.

"You look nice," is all Brittany can muster.

Sara looks around and rolls her eyes. "Maybe you guys should handle this outside of my room."

"No," Brittany interjects quickly. "No." She repeats. Sara won't be much help, but she can be a witness. People are always nicer when there's an unbiased fourth party involved, right?

"Brittany, you bitch," right.

"Quinn, your hair got so—"

"No! What the fuck are you doing?"

"I…got…kicked out of—"

"I already told them." Sara says plainly. "That there was no military school, I mean. Seriously, Britt, though? Get some better lies in that pretty little head o' yours. You and guns would never mix."

"And you were just about to lie again!" Quinn cries.

Brittany huffs and threw her hands up in the air. "You will never in a million years understand, Quinn…It's really embarrassing to be left back, Ok? It's even worse when you have no one to talk to about it…"

"You could've told me. Santana's not your only best friend."

Yes she is. Brittany thought. And she would have said it out loud if she hadn't remembered that she needed Quinn to be on her side…she needed Quinn to keep her secret.

"You're right." She lied. "I'm sorry…But I need to you to please. Please. PLEASE not tell Santana, yet."

"On one condition." Puck speaks up.

"Anything," Brittany says desperately.

/

Santana needed those hands on her again. Those hands knew her. She'd never wanted anything more than those hands on her stomach, caressing her hips, —she shivered at the thought. Okay. Fine. She gave in after speaking to her parents, who said they wouldn't be back until next week. She couldn't wait that long. She scrambled to her car anddove for the glove compartment, fumbling for so long that she got sweaty. Even with the car doors open and in a crisp autumn evening, she perspired. It was obviously her nerves. She wanted to see this girl so badly that it made her nervous. Mostly because she still hadn't acknowledged her attraction to women, but also because the intensity of this particular attraction rivaled only one other…

/

Puck, Quinn, Rachel, Finn, Tina, Mercedes, and Artie stared at Brittany from across a table. This had been Puck's condition. If he and Quinn couldn't tell Santana, then they should be allowed to show everyone else. They'd decided on a private room in the library. It was the only place they wouldn't risk bumping into Santana. Brittany couldn't help, but smile. They all looked so good! Artie had cut his hair so that it was long in the front and short in the back. He now wore sweatshirts and jeans. She had thought she'd seen him on campus before, but wasn't sure since he looked like a brand new person, even the glasses were gone. She'd snuck around him anyway just in case. Mercedes had cut her hair to her jaw line and looked a bit older. She hadn't let go of her purple obsession, but now it only accented her outfit. Finn and Rachel …mostly Rachel looked…well…cute. Brittany winced at the thought, but she really did. She'd grown out her bangs along with the rest of her hair, and she left it in its natural waves. She also wore a tight shirt with skinny jeans. Finn had grown out his stupid cowlick and his hair was in a short ponytail behind his head. He'd also grown in a goatee. It made Brittany giggle.

"So…we're all kind of mad at you, Britt." Artie furrowed his brow. "I mean, we're happy to see you…but we're pretty upset that you lied for so long." A few heads nodded in agreement.

"You have to explain." Mercedes said folding her hands in front of her.

Brittany looked around with a frown. There was no way to explain. Or perhaps there was too much to explain.

"I…I got held back…and…I didn't know how to tell you guys because I was sad. Time went by and it got harder and harder to bring it up…Usually Santana helps me figure out those kinds of things. 'Cause she'll just stand next to me and say whatever I say in a way that I can't, you know? When I say stuff it comes out in my language. Santana can translate…but Santana wasn't speaking my language anymore so…" Brittany started to cry. "So…I ..I'm sorry. I didn't know what to say, so I lied."

Almost everyone gave her a sad smile. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Maybe if you and Santana weren't fighting like a couple of pre-schoolers…" She said, insensitively.

"Yeah. That was probably the worst part." Brittany said wiping her tears.

"You guys make me sick. What is so very serious that you had to stop speaking to each other for this long? And thenyou just leave me out?" Quinn caught herself. " it's just really annoying…"

Puck rolls his eyes as well, but in Quinn's direction. "We're having a party for Santana this Saturday. If you don't show up and tell her the truth, we will."

"It's for your own good, Britt. She's bound to run into you at some point."

"We all were."

"This campus is big, but not that big."

Brittany nodded sadly. " 'Kay. I really am sorry, guys." She looked up to a tableful of sad, but disappointed faces. Quinn shrugged and left. Everyone else gave her fairly cold hugs or pats on the back and left as well. Brittany sat alone in the private room and sighed. Her friends were hurt. Shehad left a gaping void in their group, and to find out that it was all based on a lie left everyone with a pretty bad taste in their mouth. If they felt t his way, she could only imagine how Santana would react.

/

Santana's fourth grade glasses were hot. Only she could pull of tortoise shell rims and gold frames. She had coupled them with a very tight black dress and pumps. Her hair came down to her shoulder blades in large waves and she looked smashing. Pucks house had been decorated with colorful Christmas lights…and that's it. He still had a Christmas tree from last year in a corner and turntables set up in the living room. His off campus apartment wasn't too large, but it didn't matter because the party always ended up outside anyway. Speakers were pointed out the windows of the first floor apartment, and the lawn was littered with drunk people playing beer pong and flip cup…or that game where you spin around with your forehead on a wifflebat.Puck was obsessed with this game. He was convinced that it made a party.

By the time Brittany arrived, things were in full swing. She passed her friends' slight nods and dirty looks as she weaved passed the crowd of people on the lawn. She knew Santana would be in the house. It was a misty night and that girl could never risk a puffy head of hair. No one seemed to care that the guest of honor wasn't participating in her own celebration.

Brittany entered the empty house. The soft pulse of television was the only light in the living room. Brittany's eyes scanned the space quickly trying to brace herself for the sight of Santana. When she saw her with her glasses onacross the hall in Puck's bedroom, she almost changed her mind. Santana didn't see her. The door was only slightly ajar and she was watching something intently on Puck's television while sipping on what looked to be a rum and coke. Her long legs were crossed and the contrast between the casual glasses and the sexy dress made Brittany's knees weak. She quickly hid behind a kitchen wall. She wasn't sure how long afterward, but she head Santana get up. She closed her eyes and gripped the side of the wall hearingthin heels click on linoleum. Please no. Please no. She said silently. The heels turned off into the bathroom. And Brittany exhaled.

After a few minutes, she heard Santana washing her hands.Brittany's body took over and burst into the bathroom. Santana was over the sink, but the only light was that of a flickering candle on the other side of the room; a candle that swiftly blew out as Brittany shut the door behind her, before Santana had a chance to turn her head.

"Hey!' She said angrily turning off the water "I'm in here!"

Brittany rushed to Santana and hugged her roughly from behind. She buried her face in thick hair and inhaled deeply.

"Oh God Santana, I'm so sorry." She whimpered. Santana tensed, but held on to the wrists at her waist. Her mind went straight to Brittany, the way this person held her, the way this person spoke…but…

"Let me touch you? Like in the elevator…" Brittany continued, whispering into the back of her head.

Santana pulled her hair to one side and gave the person she knew as The Freshman access to her neck. "Yes, " she whispered, because she could swear she smelled Brittany.

Brittany combed one hand threw Santana's hair, settling it across a shoulder, while hooking the other one under the very short hem of her dress. She kissed a honey colored neck gently; making a slow trail of soft nips and licks on the way up to Santana's earlobe. Nip. Lick. Kiss. It was a pattern she'd thought out long ago, when she'd fantasized about this opportunity. Once she got to an earlobe, she took it tenderly in her lips and tugged it. She then lightly dragged an open mouth around Santana's entire ear breathing hot air all around it.

"I missed you." She whispered. Santana hung her headforward and grabbed Brittany's hands desperately, interlacing their fingers, her palms cupping the other girls' knuckles.

Brittany then kissed the back of Santana's neck. She closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek into the back of thebrunette's head; their interlaced hands now impossibly tight around her waist.

"You smell like her so much…let me see you." Santana mumbled.

Brittany tentatively reached for the light. As it flickered on,she realized they were in front of the sink… In front of a mirror, and she wouldn't have the few seconds of Santana's turn around to prepare herself. Santana's eyes widened through her glasses at what she saw in the mirror. Brittany smiled, incapable of hiding her excitement over having the freedom of eye contact.

"Your glasses are sexy,"

Santana's eyes narrowed and she slowly turned around. Brittany couldn't read the expression. Eyes were narrowed. Lips were being licked…

Santana cupped Brittany's face, standing on her tippy toes to suck in her best friend's bottom lip. Brittany's eyes fluttered to a close and she wrapped her arms around the girl, pressing their bodies into each other. Brown eyes opened and waited for blue to do the same. They looked at each other as Santana placed her lips around a plump bottom one, then teased her tongue between both. She skipped up to Brittany's top lip and licked it. Theydeepened the kiss and continued to watch each other as Santana pivoted her head and pushed into Brittany's mouthintensely. They panted, pulling away slowly. Neither risking a blink.

Brittany suddenly recognized the expression. Now that Santana's mouth was off her own, it was clear. The smaller girl flashed her eyes up and down her figure with such disdain that Brittany couldn't believe it turned her on so much.

"Get the fuck out." Santana growled.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I got really excited by your reviews! So here's your gift my wondrous readers. Thanks so much!

Ivy- Cheer up! Don't be a sad little panda! I promise the angst won't last too long…at least not without some good times :)

6.

Brittany finally blinked.

No. She thought No I will not get the fuck out. But she found herself turning for the door anyway. She placed a shaky hand around the knob and pushed. When it didn't budge, she rolled her teary eyes and tried for a pull.

"Oh for Christ's sake, Brittany," Santana shoved her out of the way and pushed the door. Nothing. She turned the knob and thrust her shoulder into it. The door peeked open, but snapped back shut.

"No!" Quinn said from the other side.

"Really, Quinn?" Santana said angrily.

"Yes really," Came Artie's voice.

Brittany let a little smile slip. "How many of them do you think are out there?"

Santana turned to her and glared, "Don't talk to me…" Then she turned back to the door and said quietly, "Probably all of them."

"Correct." Said Finn. Santana could hear his smile and wanted to slap him one more good time.

"Guys, imagine if we'd planned this? See what I mean? It's always better to just fly by the seat of your pants. Now theyhave to talk." Santana heard Puck speak.

"This isn't Can't Hardly Wait, Asshole…you can't lock us in a room and expect us to work shit out." Santana yelled…as if they weren't directly on the other side of the thin piece of wood.

"I love that movie," Brittany whispered, sitting on the edge of the tub. Santana rolled her eyes at the door.

"What is this about anyway?" came Quinn's voice.

"It's about time I call the police. That's what it's about. How many people at this party are under the legal drinking age, Puck?…Let's see, there's me, all of you…everyone on the—"

The door swung open and Mercedes, Artie, Puck, Quinn, Finn, Rachel, And Tina stood huddled at the door way with wide eyes.

Santana pushed past them and turned around, "Wouldn't you know? I left my phone on the bed. Guess I lied. " Suddenly she shot Brittany a glare that brought tears to the blonde's eyes.

"Wait," Puck grabbed the crook of Santana's elbow. "Seriously, why won't either of you say a word? What's up?"

"I'll say a word. I've got two: I'm sorry. I'm sorrySantana, I'm sorry. I'm sorry all of you, but I'm reallyreally sorry Santana."

Santana tried to wrestle from Pucks grasp, all the whilecutting her eyes at Brittany. Brittany slowly furrowed her brow in disbelief.

"Hey! I did my part just then… Now it's your turn. Apologize! You…You fucked up too!"

All of their friends gasped as if part of some sitcom. Brittany barely ever cursed. She looked around insecurely and continued, "I only lied because you stopped speaking to me in the first place. Remember? I wouldn't have had to keep it from everyone if I'd had you" then she quickly added "—to help me."

"Get off me Puck," Santana snarled, taking her free hand and pinching his skin. He snapped his hand away and hissed. Brittany pushed passed their friends and was suddenly nose-to-nose with Santana. She hadn't meant to hop up so close, but here they were, in the middle of a semi-circle of friends. Santana looking like she might not let Brittany walk away from this face-off, and Brittany huffing in frustration, tears still streaming down her face.

"What happened, Santana?" Brittany whispered intensely."Why didn't you show?"

Santana shifted her eyes angrily, so Brittany continued,

"I had things I wanted to say. You need to know tha—"

"I heard it all in the elevator, Freshman."

"I said not to call me that."

" Oh is that offensive? You don't like people calling you what you're not? After all, you're not really a freshman, are you Brittany? I bet you never even went to military school.I bet you spent an entire year laughing at all of us…and what fools we must be not to have seen you right under our—"

"YOU WEREN'T SPEAKING TO ME! How could I have known that you even cared?" Brittany finally broke, waving her arms in the air.

Santana suddenly felt their friends' eyes bouncing between them. She took a few steps back and looked anxiously tothem then back to Brittany, "You know…" her voice shook as a tear ran down her face. "You know I …always …care."

" I don't" Brittany shook her head sobbing. "I don'tknow…"

And after trailing off into a long silence, she shrugged, defeated. "Doesn't matter." She looked to the ground.

"No." Santana spat through tears. "It really doesn't."

She stormed away and didn't look back. Brittany looked around and hated every face that stared back at her. They looked just like Mr. Schue that last year of high school; she couldn't stand his pity, and theirs was ten times worse.

/

"I'm really awkward about this, Santana."

"You're awkward about everything."

"But this is on a new level…it's a huge conflict of interest here…"

"Listen, you put me through hell last year…this is the least you can do….And I obviously can't talk to her, so you're the next best thing."

"Why can you obviously not talk to her? That's probablyexactly what you should be doing right now."

Santana sighed and tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. She can't believe she used to look up to this girl as a childand wish that she were her older sister and not her best friend's. It's the second of two reasons she'd pledged thesorority…she'd never admit that the first was Sara's strong resemblance to Brittany…

"Well, what do you want then? I mean…I'm not Brittany. I can't tell you how she feels…Just say sorry er whatever…I would say 'isn't that what you kids always do', but I don't think you've ever fought. In the lifetime I've known you Santana, there wasn't a single week that I didn't see you at my—Oh… my ….God… you're in love with her."

Santana had been looking at her fingers and smiling. Sara was right. Not a single week, since she was 5 years old, had gone by without her spending at least 3 nights at Brittany's. And Brittany spending the rest of the week at hers. They were each other's family first. Brittany's big sister had locked them both in a closet until they cried. Santana's brothers had spun Brittany on the playground merry-go-round until she threw up. Their mothers had a book club that consisted of the two of them, a forgotten book,margaritas, and dancing. Their fathers spent hours planning trips over barbeque and beers because joint family vacations had become tradition.

But when Santana heard Sara's last sentence, her eyes shot up and her brows sank. She looked at Sara shaking her head fanatically.

"No, no, no, no—"

"Yes!' Sara jumped up pointing at Santana. "And she loves you too!"

"Sara! You are way off." Santana stood as well. But her expression drastically changed at the suggestion of reciprocity.

Sara noticed and smiled. "…She had spent every morning for a few weeks reciting some speech in front of her mirror; gesturing to some invisible person named Holly and talking about love. She caught me watching her one day, so I asked what this was for, and she said a play. I asked if you were Holly…she laughed and said no, Holly is Holly. But that you were the star, and the performance was that day and she was so excited….When she came home crying…and after realizing I hadn't seen any flyers about a play or heard anything about auditions…I got the feeling she was trying to say something. I wasn't sure what though…"

"Shit," Santana sat back on the ottoman she'd been originally slumped on.

Sara was enthralled now that she sensed an exposed secret. She sat cross-legged on the floor right in front of Santana;as if she were a child being told a story. Fingers interlaced under her chin, brows shot up to her hairline and a great big smile on her face. Sometimes she and her sister were so alike in demeanor.

"Ugh, Sara." Santana finally noticed and rolled her eyes.

"Tell," Sara waggled her brows and dragged a tongue across her front teeth. Santana gave a weak laugh.

"It's really nothing." She shook her head. "Just...I was supposed to be at that 'Play'. We…we were supposed to talk…about things. And...I guess I didn't know. I knew she wanted to clear things up. But I really didn't know what that meant. Like, clear things up how, you know? Did that mean we had to start acting like…um…a …"

"A couple?" Sara sat up in happy surprise.

Santana shrugged, embarrassed, "Uh..yeah. See? I can't even say it. I'm still not ready to be a lesbian."

"What are you talking about?…You two used to make outat parties all the time."

"But there's a difference, Sara. I mean…there are two ways that we used to…you know…The way everyone saw it, and the way no one did. The way every one saw it had one level. A level I was comfortable with because I was still straight in people's eyes. Then there was the way no onesaw it…I had a feeling that Britt wanted to explore that. And that could go to so many other levels…there was toomuch at risk…and then I started thinking: what if it was neither of those? What if it was all or nothing, you know? Like be mine or don't be my friend at all? And I know that's stupid because it doesn't even sound like Brittany…but that was why I couldn't show up. I guess she had made up this whole speech on what she wanted to say and Ijust… blew it off…. stood outside and watched her cry…"Santana clenched her jaw.

"And now?"

"Now, what?"

"Are you ready to fix it?"

"Sara…she lied…I don't know?…I told you I'm not ready to be a lesbian."

Sara got up slowly and smiled knowingly at Santana. She nodded as she turned her back and said,

"I bet you're ready to love my sister."

"Well…" Santana looked to her hands again with a tiny smile. "I never really stopped."

/

"Oh my God. I need to start charging."

"Charging who? I thought Charles was in Charge."

Brittany walked passed her sister and made herself at home in her dorm. She grabbed a piece of bread, smeared it withNutella and sat with her leg underneath her on the ottoman.

"Never mind." Sara shook her head and took a seat on the futon.

Brittany shrugged; her demeanor more pensive than chipper.

"I wanted to talk to you." She said biting into her snack.

"Rush is almost over. Just hang in there."

Brittany shook her head swallowing hard. "Not about that.Remember when Puck and Quinn were in here? And they were mad at me?"

"Yeah, you little fibber, you."

"I need them to not be mad at me anymore…any of them."

Sara tilted her head and smirked, "You sure this isn't about something else?...Maybe someone else being mad?"

"It is. It really is. But I'm not allowed to talk about why that person's mad at me…well actually I can't talk about why I'm mad at her…it's a secret."

"Well, personally, I think you should start with that person…and that person can help you with the rest of your friends."

"But that person's maddest of all…"

"Which is why you need to fix that first. "

Brittany simply shook her head. "She's not going to let me speak, this person. And she won't even apologize…which makes me kinda mad too. It's really confusing Sara."

Sara got up and dragged her sister to the door, opened it and pushed her out, "Just tell her you love her. Trust me, she loves you back." She smiled and slammed the door in Brittany's face.

Brittany turned on her heels wondering if her sister was speaking in generalities or not.

She wanted to believe her…but she was almost positive that it couldn't be that simple.

/

Santana heard a soft knock at her door. She'd paid extra for a single for this exact reason. But even without a roommate, she couldn't cry in peace without an interruption. She didn't even bother wiping her tears. It was too much of a hassle with glasses on. She opened the door to a golden-haired mess; the girl was panting with red puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. Her long ponytail hung lowdown her back, wisps of hair escaping and falling down the sides of her face; her expression desperate and forlorn. They stared at each other for a while and soon Santanabegan to weep angrily. Brittany stepped in and closed the door behind her. She brought her hands up to wipe the tears from underneath Santana's glasses, but Santana slapped them away roughly.

"Don't touch me!" she cried, walking backwards.

Brittany frowned in confusion, following her. "What?" She sputtered through tears.

They stopped in the middle of the room.

"You're a liar!"

"I knew more about your feelings as The Freshman than I ever did as Brittany," Brittany was suddenly livid. They both were. Tears were spilling and muscles were tensed. Fists were balled. "I had to make an appointment to have a serious conversation with you! And you couldn't even show up to that!"

"That amounts to an entire year of lying to all your friends? To me? That makes it ok!"

"No! But—"

Santana grabbed the tall blond by the collar and kissed her so roughly that their teeth crashed. Her eyes were shut so tight that tears rained onto their lips and tongues. Brittany's hands fisted the back of Santana's shirt and pulled her in urgently.

"Apologize," Brittany whispered as they gasped for breath.

"No." Santana husked. Brittany pushed her away wheezingthrough exposed, gritted teeth. The brunette stumbled back at the rough shove and steadied herself on her desk. She took a deep breath and paused. She'd never apologized before in her life. She'd never meant it.

"Tell me you're sorry," Brittany pleaded.

Santana shrugged as surrender, blinking twin tears from each eye.

The blond walked up and looked her over carefully. She examined her face as if it were brand new. They locked eyes and she began to snake a hand up the smaller girl's shirt, massaging her abdomen. Santana arched her back into the touch. This left an exposed jaw line for Brittany to suck; she did so just to watch dark chocolate eyes roll back.Dragging her lips up to the shell of the brunette's ear, Brittany placed an open palm in the valley between herbraless breasts and whispered, "Show me."


	7. Chapter 7

7.

Santana nodded nervously and pulled her shirt over her head, dropping it to the floor. She began to take off her glasses, but Brittany stopped her, lifting her hand off the girl's chest,

"Leave them on?"

Santana rolled her eyes with a sad smile. This girl.

When Brittany was sure that Santana could see her, she peeled off her own shirt, her muscles still glistening fromsprinting to the dorm, and Santana sighed at the sight. She'd missed this body so much. She'd named those freckles; the ones that heaved with every shallow breath Brittany took.

They stood in front of each other like two kids. Like it was their very first time. And honestly, for Santana, that's exactly how it felt. This was very different from anything else they'd done…anything else she'd done. This could not be masked as anything else but need. Not want. Need. It remained animalistic, but one could drown in the depth of it all.

Brittany broke the staring contest first and approached Santana slowly. She let her eyes wander down to the girl's belt buckle and danced her fingers along it saying,

"I wish you would let me…"

"I want you to." Santana reached around and undid Brittany's ponytail gently.

Brittany loosened the buckle, letting it hang open then stopped herself. "But you need to say sorry."

The brunette pulled her own pants down and kicked them under the bed. She then pulled Brittany in by her belt loops and unbuttoned her pants, dragging the zipper down at a painfully slow pace, "I said…I would show you, didn't I?" She slid her hand between the open zipper and Brittany's underwear, cupping her heat.

The dancer's head lulled back and she moaned. Santana quickly took her hand out and pulled her to bed.

Brittany sat, watching Santana pull her pants down for her,and leaned back on her elbows.

She saw her slow down. Up until then, Santana had been on a mission, but seeing these long muscular legs and a pretty pink panty set appear made her step back and take a moment.

"What? Brittany said tilting her head and smiling, her hair cascading across her face.

"I don't deserve this."

"…It's yours if you want it."

Santana crawled on top of a long, lean, sun-kissed figureand rested her core against the navel; hovering. After searching the blonde's face she swooped down and pulled on a lower lip, opening her eyes to watch Brittany whineher name. She started to kiss softly; timidly introducing tongue; letting her lips play against another soft pair.Before she knew it, her elbows were bent at either side of Brittany's head, cradling it tenderly and playing with blonde tresses as they kissed. Strong arms wrapped around her and their torsos melted together.

"We should kiss forever," Brittany whispered into her mouth.

Santana nodded and pulled away, still playing with golden locks and now gazing into sapphire eyes.

"Remember how you said trouble doesn't feel good?"

"I was wrong." Brittany smiled.

"Please remember that tomorrow."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I can't tell you everything you need to hear…" Santana frowned then gently licked the girl's cheek.

Brittany held her closer.

"Just let me have you for right now, 'kay?"

Santana gave a half smile and began to kiss purposefully down her chin, throat, sternum, stomach, and as she got to her panties she knelt between legs that hung over the edge of the bed. She caressed the long limbs all the way up to the sides of her butt. Then did the same to the inside of her legsuntil the girl was quivering with anticipation. She got to the part of Brittany's underwear that met between her thighs and hooked her fingers beneath it, running her them back and forth playfully. Brittany's breath was ragged andSantana's fingers emerged gleaming.

She pulled the pink lace panties down and held them asBrittany took her shaking legs out. The blonde spread herself wide and Santana decided to pause and take off her own underwear so that she could touch herself at the sight. Brittany finally took off her bra and sat up to watch Santana. She licked her lips, but Santana couldn't take her eyes off of her folds.

"Aren't you glad you kept your glasses on?" Brittany husked.

Santana could only nod.

"They're sexy as fuck."

Santana's eyes shot to Brittany's. Hearing her curse in a low lusty tone sparked a new fever in the pit of her stomach.

"I want those fingers inside of me," Brittany purred, "I missyou."

Santana crept up, straightening one arm by Brittany's head, so that they were watching each other again. She slowly entered the blonde with her other hand and smiled as her back arched. It was beautiful. She wished she had threehands so that she could be on her, inside her, and around her at the same time. She settled for light kisses along her face. I love you so much, She mouthed between each one. She was angry with herself for the silence of her confession, but it was the best she could do; that and bask in the clenching around her fingers. Tiny noises were coming from Brittany and she brought her arms around Santana's neck for an embrace as she came in many strong shudders. She caught her breath and kissed Santana's hair. As they pulled away, she noticed tears in the smaller girls eyes.

"Smile, Honey." Brittany said placing a kiss on her lips and not pulling away until she felt a grin forming.

Santana found a place under Brittany's arm and curled into her side as a hand ran through her hair. She fell asleepcomfortably inside her best friend.

/

"Because we're their friends

"Bullshit Rachel. You're just nosey"

Artie shot Quinn a look. She sighed and backpedaled,"Look, we all know how Santana is…She won't go for it, and more importantly, I don't think this is any of our business…"

"I think it's worth a try," Mercedes says. "I mean it can'tget much worse than what's happened without our help."

"That's the spirit!" Rachel began to march happily.

"Rach, we're in public! Quit marching!."

"Relax Quinn, it's a hiking trail. Totally normal to march."

"Never normal. Never normal to march." Tina said shaking her head. "Anyway, I think biking's a good idea. Santana will enjoy the competition and Brittany—well, Brittany enjoys just about anything."

"I agree. We start them out with group activities and warm them up to at least being around each other" Rachel said, dipping into that tone of voice that bore an eerie similarityto Tracy Flick. "Then, the activities require smaller and smaller groups until it's just them and they have to communicate!"

"Um…can't we just not show up?" Mercedes said.

"No, Mercedes, we do not deceive our friends. We already see how that turns out. Plus they're too smart for that…they'd just leave at this point. I told you, we need to warm them up."

As usual, Rachel exhausted everyone out of an argument and they all agreed. She clapped excitedly at a new opportunity for leadership.

/

Santana tickled her tummy and Brittany woke up reluctantly, knowing what was to come. They didn't say much of a good-bye. It consisted mostly of letting their fingers slip out of each other's reach slowly as Santana walked away.

/

" You know I do not ride bikes, Britt."

"Just come with me! Please?…I get a feeling my glitterhelmet's the only thing that won them over."

"What?"

"When they were deciding whether or not to invite me?One of 'em was probably like 'but let's give her a second chance…where else are we going to find a helmet that cool?', then some one else goes, 'I bet it's made of stars.' And a third person's like 'we need—' " Brittany did a different voice for each person.

"Ok, Britt. Just stop your crazy talk."

Brittany hops up and down and attacks her sister with a hug, barreling her down to the futon.

Sara pushes her off with a laugh and says,

"Is Santana going to be there?"

"Oh…I guess." Brittany shrugs, feigning nonchalance.

"Have you spoken to her since our conversation?

I ran from your room to hers and we had the best sex ever.

"No! We're still in a fight." Brittany blurted.

/

"No! We're still in a fight." Santana answered to Finn and Puck's 24th question.

"But you're cool with her coming right?"

Santana smirked to herself as she bit into a pizza. "I'm fine with her coming."

The boys gave each other a hi-5 and even began their 15 minute-long secret handshake.

"Damnit! Still? Can I not escape this buffoonery?" Santana shook her head.

"If you want to learn it, all you have to do is ask," They slung their arms around her shoulders, her tiny body sandwiched between theirs on a pizza parlor bench.

"Lay off me, I'm starving!" She said mimicked, shouldering them off with a laugh. The boys had known her for a long time. They were well aware that this meant their friend was at ease and they were positive it had everything to do with them.

"Is that my slice?" Finn pouted looking at an empty paper plate.

Puck got up tugging Finn's arm, "I forgot to tell you, she's preparing for the winter. Don't take your eyes of your plate. She's an animal."

"You buying?"

"Might as well. I made the same mistake."

She laughed with a full mouth as she watched the boys dragtheir feet to the cashier.

/

Santana immediately regretted her decision to join the group bike ride. Not because it was 6am, not because she hadn't ridden in years, but because she had not anticipated Brittany in bicycle shorts. Her leers were becoming dangerously lengthy. Brittany caught her staring once and bit her lip, sending an encouraging cocked brow her way.

Santana turned with a gulp. The shorts outlined everything she'd seen in the nude just days ago and it was torture. They're friends were scattered about, preparing rental bikes, payment, and talking amongst themselves…thinking the girls were listening as Artie or Tina brought them into a conversation, but really Brittany and Santana were trying to both catch and avoid each other. Sara was too busy picking the bike with the best seat to feel the tension.

"No I called dibs on the gel, Rachel! YES I DID! YES I—Britt!" She yelled.

Brittany peeled her eyes away from Santana's Under Armour tank top. It was her favorite. And Santana knew it. She passed her closely on her way to her sister, inhaling as she did so. She loved when Santana wore Old Spice. It was so weird and very un-Lopez, but it was also one of her favorite things about the girl.

"Rachel, please." Brittany sighs as she walks into the heated discussion. Suddenly all eyes were on Rachel. This was her plan after all, and her rules specifically stated that they were to accommodate the girls and give them absolutely no reason to bail. That meant keeping Sara happy too. Especially Sara. She wasn't in on the plan, so she had no reason to stick around. But if she left so did Brittany, so really, she was the keystone to their entire arrangement—Luckily, this was apparent to all but herself; had she known she would not have taken full advantage.

"Oh you meant this gel seat." Rachel said, suddenly aware of the many glares and walking away with another bike.

Sara turned to Brittany confused, "It's the only one."

Brittany started off ahead of them all. She biked like she did when she was a kid, standing up and pedaling happily. She heard her cell phone ring in her bike pouch and picked it up, sitting down and steering with one hand.

"Wait up! We want to start looking for lunch spots," Rachel screeched on the other end of the line. Brittany nodded and hung up…forgetting that Rachel couldn't see her. She pulled to the side and waited a good half an hour for her friends to trickle down the path.

They stopped, all panting and drenched in sweat.

"Britt, you fuckin champ." Puck smiled.

It was the first one she'd received in a while from any of her friends and she beamed right back.

"I forgot how ridiculously athletic you are!" Rachel grabbed for her hand and squeezed it. One by one her friends began to offer amicable comments or gestures, letting her know they were on her side again….All but Santana, of course. Brittany caught Sara's eye and smiled, patting her sparkling helmet. Sara snorted.

"Let's go," Santana announced. They began to whizz off in a group, but she of course ended up far behind everyone else.

"Remember when I'd have to walk my bike because I couldn't pedal as slow as you?"

Brittany had sped out of everyone's sight and looped back. Santana giggled involuntarily.

"You just wanted to be next to me."

"That and I didn't want to have to deal with your whining for the rest of the week."

"Shut up," Santana let go of her handle bar to jostle Brittany's.

They shared a laugh.

Brittany began to stand up and pedal faster.

"Hey!" Santana followed suit.

Part of their group was now barely visible, so the girls slowed down again, staying about half a mile behind.

Brittany sighed happily. Santana looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Oh you know…"

Santana blushed.

Brittany looked at her with a wide smile and her tongue between her teeth.

"So you think Rachel's ass looks hot too?"

Santana nearly swerved into a tree as she laughedhysterically. She got off her bike and had to lean up against a fence, letting happy tears flood her face.

Brittany smiled in adoration. "I like these tears better." She said softly.

Santana nodded and let the girl wipe her face. Suddenly Brittany got serious.

"In order for this to work…they can't know we're…friendly."

"I wouldn't cal lit friendly…" Santana smirked. "We're both past that, and not there yet."

"I tried to tell Sara how confusing it was…" Brittany said in agreement.

"You told her we—"

"No. No. No one knows…I don't think they should. We have stuff to work out. A great man once said "Ain't nobody's business but mine and my baby's'."

Santana chuckled. "One Mr. Michael Jackson."

"Don't get me wrong though. I still don't like keeping secrets…but I think it's better this way…for right now...since I'm still not sure what the secret is…and someone has yet to apologize…"

Santana phone vibrated and she breathed a sigh at relief at the distraction.

She had a missed text.

Waiting for you…Coming back to get you if I don't see you in 5. It read. It was from Puck and it was received 2minutes ago. She panicked. They both knew of the press conference-like scenario that would erupt at the sight of them alone.

Brittany read over Santana's shoulder and hopped on her bike. "Split up!" She said, a rush of adrenaline surging through her blood stream. Before she kicked off, she felt a hand at her shoulder and turned into a surprise peck. In a second, the supple lips were gone and Santana was pedaling away.

"I like you next to me too." She said, glancing back with a wink.

Brittany took a right to the woods in order to truly avoid Puck. She was laughing because she couldn't contain it. She swiveled, gained speed and put her feet up on the top tube expertly. Coming to a hill she'd encountered a thousand times before she gained momentum. As she gotthe apex, she closed her eyes and spread her arms like she always did, but this time she had a song in her head.

I wanna see your love, I wanna see your love.

He hair was whipping through the wind and she knew she was at the steepest part of the slope.

When I'm in your arms! Nothin' can bring me down! When I'm in your arms, girl! Nothin' can bring me down!

Just as she was opening her eyes and simultaneously grabbing her handlebars, she saw Puck's hunched back. He was turned sideways. Waiting to emerge from the woods and scare his girlfriend. Brittany turned her wheel, but it was too late.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: THANK YOU ALL!

And Ivy, what does that mean? Haha I stared at it for like 15 minutes, please, enlighten me!

Kosax12 yes he is

8.

Santana would have recurring nightmares for the rest of her life based on the sight of Puck flipping over concrete and Brittany flying through the air.

It was she who Santana ran to first. The brunette held herhands over her mouth as she knelt between the two bodies, turning her head towards the blonde and hiccupping tears.

"Oh God." She sobbed putting her hands on Brittany's bloody face.

"San?" came Puck's voice from behind her. She turned quickly and started weeping all over again.

"Please!" She screamed suddenly looking between themand realizing they had to be tended to and she certainly was not qualified. She stood up, walking backwards as her shaking hand went for her phone and dialed Rachel's number.

"WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME? CALL 911!"

Brittany chuckled ever so softly as she heard Rachel from where she lay. Santana nearly wretched at the sight of Brittany's bloody mouth peeking open. She turned around to call 911.

Their friends and the paramedics arrived simultaneously. Santana kept her hands on Brittany as she accompanied herinto an ambulance. Their friends tried not to wince at the fact that she didn't think twice about abandoning her boyfriend.

The brunette sat across from the paramedic as he scribbled on a chart and didn't take her eyes off of Brittany, who lay between them on a stretcher. She tried to hide how furious she was that all that fucking EMT could do was write and coldly adjust straps, press buttons, and insert tubes.

Can't you hear her groaning? Do something! She thought. And normally she would have yelled this, but this was Brittany. It wasn't worth risking the possibility of delayed medical attention. Then it struck her, and this thought she had to express to the injured girl,

"You can have my legs if yours don't work."

Brittany's I.V. had finally kicked in and she was unconscious, but the paramedic stopped his jotting and looked to Santana.

"What?" she said angrily through tears.

"How long have you two been together?"

"I don't know? Since we were 5?" She said shrugging and staring at Brittany, wondering how this guy found time to ask personal questions, but couldn't seem to fix this mess.

"You're a beautiful pair," he continued, nodding with a comforting smile.

Santana wasn't quite listening, her eyes were glued to the blonde, looking for any signs of discomfort, "Just make sure those legs work, ok? Those are a beautiful pair."

The paramedic chuckled at his chart, "Don't worry Miss. We're going to do everything we can for your girlfriend."

Her eyes widened, but instead of correcting him, she simply nodded.

/

Sara almost smiles when the doctor says that Brittany's helmet saved her life. Unlike Puck who merely received some fractured ribs and a deep dark bruise from the left side of his hip down to the left side of his knee, the blonde actually suffered pretty serious injuries. Not from the impact of her first collision with Puck, but from being launched off her bike resulting in a second collision with the ground. It looked a lot worse than it was, though. There was no internal bleeding, thankfully. But she had broken her nose and collarbone and there was something wrong with her ankle. Santana heard this all as she sat on the other side of the room holding Puck's hand.

The rest of their friends migrated to Brittany's side of the shared hospital room with Brittany's parents, having noticed that Puck was basically his regular old self. He was sitting up, being inappropriate, and only hissing with pain when he tried to reach over and show everyone his catheter. One by one they had all made their way to a sleeping Brittany's side. She had been given pain medicine and had cuts, scrapes, and bruises up and down every inch of exposed skin. It brought tears to her friends' eyes.

Only when they heard the doctor announce that she'd gotten off easy, did they start to smile weakly at each other.

"But what's wrong with her ankle. We haven't heard about that yet." Santana's voice came as a surprise, though she still spoke from the other side of the room.

"Good question," the doctor smiled, but Santana glared back at him. What the hell kind of answer is that? "We're going to put it in a cast, we can't actually say if it's broken or just a really bad sprain. There's always a possibility of surgery, but either way, it will need to heal correctly to function the way it always has."

"She's a dancer, you know." Rachel said sadly.

"No, actually I didn't know. But…I guess that means we'd better make sure we get her back on her feet, huh?" The doctor chuckled.

"It's not a joke," Santana growled.

/

"You haven't gone to Britt's side once…and Puck's not even here anymore."

"I'm here aren't I?"

"Yeah but what's the point of coming to visit her everyday if you're not even going to look at her."

"Fuck off Quinn."

"You don't have to do this you know. Everyone knows you guys are still fighting... You don't have to feel guilty about not coming."

Santana rubbed her eyes wearily. This was the first day she came to visit Brittany without the rest of her friends. She'd wanted to be alone with the blonde, maybe then she'd have the courage to actually cross to the other side of the room. She'd almost been home free too, but then Quinn caught her in the parking lot of her dorm, saying that she couldn't go later with everyone else and started begging for a ride. Santana was pissed the entire ride there. This was her time. She hadn't gotten to be with her girl for an entire week and she just wanted to share the same room and talk to her candidly even if she couldn't exactly look at her yet. She was being a very big bitch to Quinn because this hadessentially turned out to be a waste of time, but not for the reasons the other girl had listed.

Brittany had murmured a few words throughout the week, but her facial wounds were still fresh and moving her mouth meant disturbing them. According Tina, her eyes were still bright and her mood resilient. They got her a white board and she would communicate with it, using the arm that wasn't in a sling; drawing pictures because that was more fun. She wrote about how she couldn't remember anything between flying through the air and then waking up the next morning. One thing she always remembered; however, was to ask where Santana was, and everyday her friends pointed to the silent figure on the other side of the room. Brittany couldn't scoot up to see her and Santana purposely didn't move into her line of sight. Their friends, and even Sara, shrugged it off, assuming they were still not on speaking terms. Brittany just assumed they were all lying and that they were covering for an absent Santanabecause whenever she'd say "Hi San," she wouldn't hear anything back. The smaller girl wasn't sure if she could handle Brittany looking like anything other than herself.What if there was tubing coming out of her face? What if there were scars? Santana shivered and her eyes welled up as she stood on the other side of the room. It was missing out on the meeting with Holly all over again. It wasn't that she cared too little. It was that she cared too much.

/

Another week passed by and Brittany was released. Thedoctor let them know that she would need to wear a boot for about 6 weeks, but that other than, she was an amazingspecimen. Her nose had healed nicely and the rest of her wounds required little to no treatment. He recommended only Neosporin for the scars and keeping the sling on for just one more week.

"Oh and Ms. Lopez," The doctor turned to Santana. "You can pick up your girlfriend's personal items at the front desk."

Santana's head snapped up. "What?"

"A loved one has to sign them out because—"

"My What?"

"I apologize for the familiarity Miss, but the paramedic let me know about your relationship to the patient." He said smiling.

The friends that stood huddled around the doctor staredacross the room at Santana with their own burgeoning smiles.

She glared at them. She knew that they thought she would let it slide because Brittany was listening. The blonde was still on her bed, beaming at the sound of Santana's voice. She hadn't heard it in so long…and now she could finally believe that the girl had been there the whole time.

"I don't know how he got that idea, but I—" Santana had tried to hiss, but her mouth was salivating because she knew this next bit would sting. "I barely know the girl."

Santana got up and said she would meet them by the car, but never showed. They waited as long as they could, texted, called, but didn't hear from her.

Tina, Rachel, and Finn followed Brittany's parents' car to their house and tried to make sure she was settled in, but Sara waved them off insisting that this was her baby sister.She had traded her RA hours with a co-worker, and volunteered to do Brittany's academic bidding, staying at home as well. She even let Brittany stay in her room since it was downstairs. Of course, it didn't make a difference because she ended up falling asleep in the same bed after spending the day fussing over her and spending the night cracking up over their favorite movies. Sara was not a great role model, but she was an amazing caretaker. She loved having a little sister for that reason alone. Even though they were only two years apart, she had always treated Brittany like a doll. This is why she couldn't be present when Brittany did her 'events' for rush. She begged her not to pledge because she knew what it entailed, but of course the girl didn't listen. So Sara would silently step away when Brittany was given mortifying tasks and claim that it was a conflict of interest.

It had been easier to torture Santana because Sara was still sore from what she had seen done to her sister. All she knew was that Santana ruined Brittany's junior year…and that was all she needed to know. She carefully ruined Santana's (college) freshman year by humiliating her then not letting her be part of the social hierarchy she thrived on.Yet, at some point she started feeling bad…after all, she'd watched this girl grow up too. But the guilt only started this passed summer, when she noticed Santana might not have been the only one at fault in whatever altercation she and her sister had had.

/

"What! What! What!" Santana appeared at the Pierce'sdoor the next morning frazzled from Sara's text. Something about an emergency. "Is she ok?"

"Yes, yes she's fine. But I need you to do this." Sara dropped something in Santana's hand as she fumbled around the kitchen, rushing for the door.

"I'm sorry, something came up at the sorority house…sounds like something went a little too far and I've really got to be there. Didn't want to leave her alone, no one else picked up…besides, I don't think anyone would be able to do this. So please just finish up and can you watch her for a few hours?"

Sara kissed Santana on the cheek and left without waiting for an answer, dashing through a still open door.

Santana dropped her bag and walked slowly to the living room.

"What am I? some kind of baby…sit…ter…" Her words left her as she encountered Brittany. Sitting on the couch wearing only her blue bra with stars on it, SpongeBobunderwear, her cast, and a sling.

"No you're not. You can leave. I'll just tell her you stayed." Brittany crossed her arms and scowled at the brunette. Santana suddenly looked at her hand and realized what Sara had dropped in it.

A warm washcloth.

"I—I Didn't mean that."

"Sure you did." Brittany said with a frown.

Santana stood staring at her for a while, then took a seat next to the blonde. It took a few more minutes for her to find the strength to dip the washcloth in the warm water basin by their feet. She timidly wrung it out and brought it to Brittany's shoulder then down her arm saying,

"I didn't. Not that…or….or what I said to the doctor."

Brittany raised her eyebrows. "So you are my girlfriend?"

"Um...That I didn't know you. I didn't mean it when I said that…obviously…" Santana brought the cloth underneath Brittany's bra strap and passed it lightly over the swell of her breast. It elicited a soft moan from the dancer's lips. "…obviously I do." Santana said smirking.

"You got your contacts back." Brittany returned the smirk.

"The doctors Lopez mailed me the prescription." She bent to dip the cloth again, her cheek skimming Brittany's kneeby accident. The blonde's leg twitched.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No that's my good leg…you just…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"I what? I can stop. Just tell me."

"You um...your skin touched mine and.." a blush bloomed across the girl's cheeks and chest.

Santana was getting it, but she pressed on anyway, with a smile on her face. "…and?"

"Shut up Santana. …I liked you better with your glasseson."

"Right." Santana brought the cloth to a delicious midriff. She took her time spreading her palm under it so that she was basically caressing the girl's stomach. Brittany's breath kept getting caught in her throat as she watched Santana concentrate.

"I was so worried about you." The smaller girls voice seemed to come from far away. "And I shouldn't have left. I really just can't see you hurt. It hurts me."  
"That's silly Santana. I was only hurting because I couldn't see you." They caught each other's eyes, but Santana looked away to dip the cloth back into the basin.

"Do I go under your sling?"

"No I can do that." Brittany took the cloth from Santana'shand and wrung it completely out, then delicately took off her sling. She dabbed the skin from her shoulder to herhand lightly.

"You're so pretty," Santana said as if in a dream. She had been watching intently.

"What?" Brittany said smiling, but continuing to dab.

"The way the little blonde hairs on your arm light up when they're wet…the way your skin gleams. It's beautiful." She continued, still seemingly dazed.

"It makes my muscles look awesome."

"Yes it does." Santana took the washcloth back. "My turn."

Brittany giggled. "The sling, Santana."

"Oh yeah."

Santana got up, tied the washcloth around her wrist, and put her knees at either side of Brittany's bare thighs. The blonde inhaled deeply when her best friend's neck came dangerously close to her lips as she adjusted the sling.

"Good?" Santana husked, turning her head so that her breath was at Brittany's eyes.

Brittany nodded.

The brunette dismounted and went back to her original sitting position. She untied then dipped the washcloth,squeezing it gently over Brittany's right thigh then the left one.

"Open." She whispered. Tan legs spread a little too eagerly; it made her smile. She watched the water drip between and licked her lips before swiping the towel in light circles along the taller girl's inner thighs.

"Hey Britt?" She purred.

"Mhmm," Brittany gasped

"Why don't you just take a shower?"

"Sara doesn't want to wrap me up in plastic every time. Sometimes this is just easier."

"Yeah." Santana skimmed under the waistband of theSpongeBob underwear.

"San?"

"Yes?"

"Can you…um.."

"Uh huh?" Santana brought the cloth higher on an inner thigh.

"Can you sit like you were sitting before?"

"Like when I was putting on your sling?"

Brittany nodded and brought her bottom lip into her mouth.

"Why?"

"It's easier that way."

Santana smirked and straddled her again. She looked intosea-blue eyes hungrily.

"This isn't easier." She breathed into the girl's mouth,placing her hands on the back of the couch, framing her head.

"Easier for me I meant." Brittany said going in to kiss Santana's neck. "You smell so good I just wanted to taste."

Santana rolled her head and let her eyes close as she moaned.

"You're wearing that sugar cookie body wash. You know that drives me crazy." Brittany continued.

"You're only wearing underwear," Santana husked " how exactly do you think I feel? Don't you think I want a taste?" they both opened their eyes, equally aroused. Santana held Brittany's head and sucked on each of her lips. Brittany whimpered and wrapped her good arm around Santana's waist. The brunette lowered herself onto Brittany's lap and kissed her both tenderly and with a heated passion. They licked each other's teeth, breathed into each other's mouths, and made loud smacking sounds as they consumed each other. Santana began bucking softly on Brittany's lap.

"Unzip" Brittany said smiling into a kiss.

"What are you going to do?" It was a legitimate question, how much could Brittany really do in her position?

"Well, I'm going to taste you the only way I can right now. On my fingers"

"Holy Shit Britt."

"Now hurry up."

Santana thanked the Lord she wasn't able to get her stupid fly undone in seconds flat like she usually did, because the open front door was slammed shut as someone entered. And they were getting to a point where they wouldn't have been able to stop.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

"San?"

"Wait Puck! Wait in the kitchen! Britt's getting dressed here!"

Puck smiled to himself, holding back a comment.

"You invited him?" Brittany whispered angrily, keeping Santana on her lap with her good arm wrapped around her waist. One very strong arm.

"It was before I knew what the emergency was! Let go!" The smaller girl whispered back. She couldn't really push away for fear of upsetting an injury.

Brittany kissed her hard. "This isn't over," She said, finally setting her free.

"Puck can you grab some clothes from her room?"Santana yelled frantically, cracking a window to air out the living room.

"Good idea. Smells like Santana in here." Brittany saidunder her breath, with a smile. The brunette turned aroundsmirking and bent around the back of the couch, putting her lips to Brittany's ear, "Oh yeah, NoPants? At least I can hide the smell, you can't hide soaking through Spongebob." Brittany shivered and bit her lip as she watched Santana round the couch.

"These good?" Puck walked in with a hand over his eyes the other outstretched holding folded Bermuda shorts and a sweat shirt covered in ducks.

"Wow Puck…I'm really impressed. I thought you would've picked a bikini." The brunette chuckled grabbing the outfit.

He turned away and spoke, "San, how many times do I have to tell you I'm not that guy anymore? The old Puck would have never come running to a house with two girls knowing he wasn't going to get any. Come on. Gimme some credit. I don't even get mad when we don't—"

"Puck, you're running your mouth again." Santana said shimmying the shorts over Brittany's cast.

"You don't what?" Brittany asked, curious. "Carpool?"

"Bone. We don't bone anymore. We're in an adult relationship now. I kinda like it. We talk and junk."

"What a coincidence, we were just about to." The blonde said waggling her brows at Santana. Santana slammed her palms over her own mouth to hold back a giggle.

"Talk?" Puck said, obliviously.

"Yes talk!" Santana squealed from behind her hands.

" I see that. Bout time. Can I turn around?"

"Almost done." Santana stifled a laugh, pulling the sweat shirt over the dancer's head.

/

"I heard Santana pushed her and felt guilty at first, so she ran in to the ambulance, but then got over it and that's why she never looked at her again."

"Jacob! Go away! This foolishness should've ended in high school. No one watches your stupid show." Rachel pushed Jacob Ben Israel's camera out of her face as she exited the dining hall.

"Seriously Jacob, you're pushing it man." Finn said frowning and putting an arm around Rachel.

"So you're saying she didn't push Brittany in front of Puck's bike?"

"She hit him, stupid!" Quinn said.

"Santana hit Puck?"

"No! Brittany hit Puck!"

"With a fist?"

"No, her bike."

"On purpose?"

"NO!" All three said in unison.

"I have reason to believe Blondilicious had a motive."

Finn and Rachel ignored him and continued walking, but Quinn stayed behind because she couldn't let this one slide.

"Jacob…what the hell are you even…where do you get these ideas? You have to watch what you say because you could really—"

"What Quinn Fabray? I could really what? Uncover the worst kept secret known to man?"

"How many times have you actually spoken to either of those girls?"

"About as many times as I've spoken to you…but just like I didn't need you to tell me that you've been able to walk for months and are carrying another child, I don't need those girls to tell me they're hiding something too."

Quinn glared flames at Jacob. "Stay the fuck away from me and my friends."

/

Puck has overstayed his welcome at the Pierce residence. Sara has yet to return and the girls had done everything they could to get him to leave as they were itching to get back to…business. However, just as Santana was getting him to consider the prospect of waiting for her in his dormroom, Tina made a grand dramatic entrance through aclosed, but still unlocked, front door.

Brittany yelped.

"I heard Santana was here." She announced crossing her arms and standing next to Puck.

"You see me don't you?" Santana furrowed her brow.

"I guess I just can't believe it…you can't even say sorry and now you think you get to come over here and make it up to her like this? No way. Britt many not know any better, but I do."

"What in the hell are you talking about Lucy Liu? And since when do you even talk? You have no idea if I've apologized or not. And fuck me if I'm wrong, but thisseems to be none of your God damn business! Brittany's my—"

Tina's approached Santana and her eyes resembled those of a serpent. She looked like the Tina Santana would encounter in her underclassmen years of high school.

"If you say best friend," the girl growled, "I may have to slap those lies out of your face. I can't watch you pick her up and drop her when you want. I've seen what happens, I've been there when you haven't." Puck got up from beside Tina and walked to stand beside Santana in the middle of the room. Tina detoured to the arm of the couch where Brittany was seated. It was an old fashioned stare down.

"Brittany," Tina continued, not taking her eyes off ofSantana. "I don't care what everyone else says. I don't think being friends with Santana is any good for you if she can't even say she's sorry. You did it. Now she should. Friendship's a compromise and she's taking advantage. And yes, Lopez, I do know for a fact that you've neglected to do so because I asked Brittany."

Santana glared at Brittany. Brittany shrugged.

"Get out. And don't come back until you can be a real friend and apologize." Tina barked.

"And just who are you?" Santana crossed her arms. "This isn't your house. You can't kick me out."

"Nobody wants you here." Tina said shooting warning daggers at Brittany.

The blonde looked from Tina to Santana and back again. She had little to no experience in the art of confrontation, so she stayed silent and decided to stare blankly at the television. Santana was only minimally hurt. She knew how Brittany reacted to these types of situations and didn't take it too personally. The brunette's throat was closing though, and she knew she might soon be blinking back tears.

"Fine. But you know what Tina? Give your friend a little more credit. She does know better and she doesn't need your over protective ass making decisions for her. If she trusts me enough to let me…in…without an apology, it's because she knows me well enough. It's because she knows I can't…I don't know how to…"

Santana was losing the battle to stray tears. She bit the inside of her lip.

"It's because I can't help myself with you, San…." Brittany didn't look away from the television. "I don't like that you haven't said sorry. It actually really, really hurts…but I just want to be around you so much….and" Brittany's tears ran down rather freely, unlike her best friend's. "And the uh…closer…the closer we get…the more I feel like I need to stop you because…it doesn't feel right…not…not without that. Not without your sorry." Brittany scrunched up her face and started bawling without even trying to cover her face. Tina went to her, but not before she saw Puck lead Santana out of the house.

/

"Wow…girlfriendships are intense."

"What makes you say that?" Santana said from the passenger's seat. Puck had brought her to a drive-in movie to cheer himself up, as he was sure he had failed a few midterms and needed to take his mind off of it.

"I was just thinking about you and Britt,"

"Oh you mean girl-friendships."

"Same thing" He shrugged.

If you only knew… Santana thought. She'd actually beenthinking about herself and Brittany as well. It had been afew months since the confrontation with Tina, and though Santana had tried to return to the house a few weeks later;Tina had obviously told Brittany's parents about how she was a "detriment" to their daughter's well being. And so,they sadly turned the brunette away at the doorstep. Even after she explained that she'd brought Brittany's homework. They frowned at her. It was good try, but it was old news that Brittany had started to attend classes again, and was staying at home because she found it easier to stay away from Santana that way. It seemed that Tina's words had struck a nerve in the dancer's own intuition and she was taking the girl's advice.

Winter had rolled in and the first snow of the season was set for that night. Just about everyone was looking forwardto the next day being a snow day, but Santana could not even rejoice in that. Or the movie in front of her. Or any of the ordinary trite. Every single day had been Brittany in and Brittany out. Thoughts always lead back to her, and what she could possibly doing at this very moment. What she might look like doing whatever she was doing. If she had gotten even more upset, or if depression had settled in.This was different from before; there was a sense of urgency and a need to right a wrong— because Santana actually felt wrong. She'd never felt wrong before… which is probably why she'd never really apologized. But this?Not having the girl she wanted when she was just an arms reach away? This was excruciating.

She unbuckled her seat belt and slid out of the car, mumbling something about not feeling well and going back home. Puck didn't have time to tell her he'd give her a ride, she'd already disappeared into the graying midnight.

At first, she thought they were tears, frosty wet spots dotting her cheeks. But then she realized they were so cold they stung, and they smacked as she ran; instead of slipping down her face. These first flakes were always so confusing, turning from translucent and feathery to large and crunchy in such short time. They weighed down her lashes and numbed her hands. It was positively freezing. But Santana was on fire when she finally reached the Pierce residence.

She pounded the door with the side of her fist. waking up the entire house and sending Ralph and Marla running to the front door, tying their robes in a panic.

When they opened the door to an out of breath Santana with her hands on her knees, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce weren't sure how to react accordingly. They were furious at having been woken up, but even more so that this was whocommitted the offence. Then again, there stood a freezing little girl with pink puffy eyes begging to have a word with their daughter. Ralph almost let her in, but Marla had to remind him and Santana what their daughter looked like after their high school debacle. Santana wailed unintelligibly, nearly pushing past them and waving her arms about telling them they didn't understand; she had to see her. Right. Now. Her emotions were so raw that shelooked like a child having a tantrum…a heart-wrenching tantrum. Mrs. Pierce apologized, and even handed Santanaa pair of hand warmers, but sent her on her way with a sad smile.

Outside, everything was a beautiful alabaster. The sky was dense and ashen. And as usual, the accumulation of snow made no noise at all. It was an enchanting silence like no other. Santana walked around the side of the house and ventured into the woods of the back yard, looking forsomething. On her way, she watched, with an intense need for distraction, as white powder gathered on thin branches of trees. How it piled in a straight line and rose up to a point so neatly. She liked to wipe it off with one finger, leaving nothing behind.

Laying eyes on what she'd been looking for, she began toclean another skinny twig when a voice behind her stopped her in her tracks.

"Don't go in there."

Santana's heart raced and she snapped the twig off of thetree, like this was the first time she'd ever heard Brittany's voice. Like she'd been waiting a lifetime for some kind of reaction from her; when in reality, it had always been the other way around.

Neither of them moved for a while. The snapped twig fell to the ground below silently and Santana stared at letting minutes pass. Finally, the brunette entered the shed anyway, against Brittany's wishes. Brittany followed her in angrily, slammed the wooden door behind them and even closed the padlock.

Santana turned to face her. She realized immediately that the blonde had to have been freezing outside. She wasn't wearing a coat. But she also wasn't wearing a cast. Or a sling. Just a zip up and pajama pants.

"I know you're cold." Santana said. "You didn't want to stay out there."

"I wanted you to stay out there." Brittany crossed her arms and pouted.

"Why'd you lock the door?"

"I don't want anyone seeing me with you." Brittany shrugged.

It stung. Badly. But Santana understood. And she had every intention of telling Brittany that.

"I get it." The brunette nodded at the ground, surprising her best friend with a refreshing dose of compassion. "I'm a bitch…and you look like my bitch when you let me treat you…the way I do." These were the most articulate words the A-student could muster when it came to emotions.

"And I'm not your bitch," The taller girl said sternly.

"And you're not my bitch." Their eyes met.

Brittany stuffed her hands in her pockets so hard that Santana could see her knuckles through the zip up. The smaller girl watched her and sighed guiltily. She knew exactly what Brittany as thinking; why her eyes were shifting around the room…what she was waiting for...

Santana walked to her, looking up from underneath her lashes. She slumped her shoulders as they stood face to face. After a heavy silence, the smaller girl looped her arms in the space between Brittany's elbows and ribs. They stood in this loose, one-sided embrace, with Brittany's hands still in her own pockets refusing to reciprocate.

Santana slowly stepped in closer, putting her feet in between the dancer's and pressing their chests together. Brittany turned her head away still resisting; soft lips ghosted over the space between her ear and her cheek.Santana took a deep breath and exhaled, "I'm sorry," into the blonde's skin.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

"…And I love you Brittany Pierce." She continued. "Every second I'm not with you is a tremendous waste of time…. Ishould've gone to see Holly with you… I should've shownyou that I'd do anything for you. Because I would. …Wecan tell whoever you want… Just let me try and give you the sweetness you give me. I'm not as good at it as you are…" Her forehead rested on Brittany's jaw as they shared a laugh. "But…I'm learning... Can we just...?"

Brittany finally turned her head and spoke into Santana's mouth as the smaller girl looked up,

"You wanna be my girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"You love me?" Brittany smirked.

"To the moon and back."

They shared a short, soft, close-mouthed kiss. Then the blonde said, "Do you know how long I would have waited to hear that?"

"I love you so so much, Brittany. It shouldn't have takenthat long…honestly."

"It's okay, slow poke."

"No. It's not. I hurt you. I kept you waiting. I didn't show you any real love…I've been thinking a lot about it…and I really meant it when I said I don't deserve you." Santana almost started to cry, but instead she stepped away from their embrace to emphasize her point. She took off her coat and some of her layers so she wore only a plaid shirt and jeans. "But give me time…and I can fix that. Because we deserve this. What we have."

Brittany gave a half smile and closed the space between them, wrapping her arms around Santana's waist.

"You're already so sweet, San. You just don't know it. You make me happiest and…yes hurt me the most…but I heard that that's the way love goes. …Let's not start over…let's just do better. 'Kay?"

Santana nodded into a kiss. And as they did so she said, "Do you know how many songs you just quoted?" Brittany smiled and Santana ended up kissing her teeth. Not for long, though, the taller girl's lips came right back to surround Santana's top one. Santana, in turn, sucked in Brittany's lower lip and dragged her own under it. The brunette was desperate internally. She wanted to swallow the other girl up; take her gently, but with everything she had. And though she thought she was hiding it well, she was actually trembling, and Brittany felt it through their kisses. So she calmed the smaller girl, placing her hands atSantana's temples and smoothing her eyebrows delicatelywith her thumbs. She kissed tenderly until the tremblingstopped and both their lips were swollen from the intense attention.

They pulled away short of breath. Santana was already so close. She'd been holding back these kinds of kisses for this very reason; she knew how much she felt for Brittanyand it was overwhelming. Embarrassingly enough, just the memory of the blonde's gaze from across a room could send her into a frenzy. But Santana had always kept it together…even when there was skin on skin, lips on lips….those moments when she could explode on contact… were all locked up. Everything she'd felt for Brittany that made touching so much more powerful than a tactile exchange…whatever it was that made Santana's crush never ending…the way she adored her incessantly... Onlynow was she letting herself experience it.

She kissed the blonde's neck softly as she pulled the zipper of her top down, knowing what she'd find—the blonde's hard nipples had been visible the moment both girls had stepped into the shed—but it was still worth staring at. The smaller girl bit her bottom lip as she dragged a cold finger down the skin that the open zip up left exposed. She didn't stop at the elastic of the pajama pants. She continued her path to the space between Brittany's legs over the thin fabric. "mmm" they each gasped as it became apparent thatthe blonde wasn't wearing the bottom half of her underwear either. Brittany looked to Santana with a naughty smirk.

The brunette took her hand, leading her to the back of the shed. They interlaced their fingers and stood staring at the trampoline fort they'd made summers ago. The trampoline was still in good condition, but no one ever wanted to bring it back out, so it ended up draped in quilts and boxes. The girls had put some of those quilts underneath as well and treated it like a tree house.

The dancer crawled underneath first. She pulled up an edge of the quilt curtain so that she could see Santana, who still stood up on the outside. The only light was that of a bulb in the center of the shed, which left Santana drenched in aheavenly sepia as she started to undress. Brittany realized what was happening and leaned back on her elbows, letting her open top expose her breasts, her knees were bent and her legs open as she looked on. Santana stared right back as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt, letting it fall to the floor,and slipped off her jeans. The girl wore a black lace panty set and her abs were tight, sprinkled with perspiration from having been in the warm shed with all those layers. The demi-cup of her bra exposed an inviting cleavage where a light moisture gathered as well. Brittany licked her lipsnoticing that the tops of her thighs were also shiny…but that was probably due to something else…

"Come here." The blonde purred.

Santana unclasped her bra and pulled down her underwearslowly before crawling in between Brittany's legs. Theblonde was not expecting to see completely nude Santana so soon. The wet spot on her pajama pants became visible, and the smaller girl placed her ample chest right up against it. They smiled at each other before

Santana began kissing every piece of newly exposed skin as she pulled down Brittany's pajama pants, avoiding the place where the wet spot originated. She kissed all the way down to her bad ankle, which she kissed twice, then came back up and hooked her arms around the dancer's thighs. Leaving her face directly lined up with her core. She blew gently on it and caressed the girl's ribs. Brittany quivered.

"Unnhh" She let out a shaky breath.

"I haven't even touched you yet." Santana said, letting her lips ghost over another set of lips.

Brittany moaned. Her wetness was pooling on the quilts below them. "I c-can't help it."

"Me neither." Santana said taking a long lick. Brittany's head dropped back and her eyes rolled as she let out awhine. It was a tease. Santana wasn't ready to lick yet. She peppered kisses instead, leaving Brittany yelping for more. The brunette eased into soft licks, until Brittany's calves hugged around her back, pulling her in. She knew it was time for sucking. She did so tenderly.

"Shit," The blonde whimpered involuntarily. Her hands left her sides where they had been resting and grabbed for Santana's fingers, which were still on her stomach. She squeezed them as the sensations began. A few small ones passed then she closed her eyes and pushed her head backinto the quilt underneath; rolling her hips and quivering, as she let go. It felt never-ending.

When her eyes opened again, Santana was above her, petting her matted hair.

"You ok?' The brunette said softly.

"You've never done it like that before." Brittany panted.

Santana shrugged with a smirk.

"That was amazing…I think I died."

Santana chuckled, "I guess I won't hold back anymore."

Brittany was already beginning to caress the girl's nude body. "Good girl." She leaned in to suck on a nipple. "You look like a painting." She said as she switched to the other. "Laid out for me like this…beautiful." Santana rolled on to her back as Brittany concentrated on her chest for a while; slipping an arm under the curve of the girl's back, kissing and nipping at her breasts. Santana's hands were in Brittany's hair, massaging her scalp. Every chance they got, they would lock eyes. The blonde took her time making a path down between the girl's ribs, which were particularly prominent as Santana arched her back and bit her lip; a silent request for Brittany to hurry up. But the dancer's kisses did not become rushed. It was as if Santana's skin was actually cinnamon and Brittany needed to lick every single granule. The brunette shivered as shefelt tongue on her navel. Lips on her left hip bone, then her right. Long tender pecks on her mound.

By this time Santana, was mumbling and combing Brittany's hair away from her face, her body so wound up that she couldn't do much else. Upon the first little lick, she bucked and whined.

"I thought I was excited." Brittany teased.

"Please baby," Santana's tone was low, desperate, andraspy. Brittany had to cross her legs to relieve the pulse between them.

"Okay," She said into the brunette's core. Santana was a mess. Immediately. But Brittany continued to lick; sucking intermittently. When the sucking became more regular and forceful, the smaller girl held on to the quilts above her and brought them down as she imploded. Brittany slowed down, but didn't stop until she was ready; until she was done and her best friend was licked clean, just as Santana had done for her. The dancer took off her zip up and they spooned in the nude as Santana came down, shaking anddripping with sweat. "Holy fuck," She said into the arm that her best friend had curled around her head. Brittany stroked Santana's stomach and giggled into her ear, "Told you it was better with feelings."

"Damn straight." Santana sighed.

/

Together they folded the damp sheets and prolongedreentering the real world as much as possible. They sat on the trampoline and laughed for a few hours.; reminiscing and catching each other up, apologizing repeatedly. And even though nothing had really changed, everything had. They pushed the door to the shed open and held hands in the door way as the biting cold hit them. Brittany began to swing their clasped hands as they ran into the blanket of snow.

/

"And what about Puck?"

"He's next…we just figured we'd come to you first."

Now you want to come to me, Quinn thought, nodding to herself.

The girls were sitting on the floor of her dorm room;Santana and Quinn cross legged and Brittany on her stomach, perched on her elbows with her ankles crossed in the air behind her. It's always been common knowledge between the three of them that a meeting on the floormeans serious business…even if it looked more like their middle school sleepovers.

Quinn looked at her two friends. The way they grinned,quaking with a happy excitement. Just waiting for their third musketeer to join their little world; all but holding out open arms.

"You two are so fucking selfish."

Brittany grabbed Santana's hand.

Quinn's face remained stoic.

"What?" The brunette said, feeling like she might've been kicked in the chest.

"Puck is out of his mind in love with you, Santana."

"No he's not." Brittany said pouting.

"Yes. He is. Do you know how much he's given up for you? Do you?"

"What Quinn?" Santana is genuinely befuddled. "Why do you care how much ass Puck misses out on? Been there done that remember? He's the same old dick he's always—"

"No. He is not, Santana. I can tell you for a fact," Quinn pauses to gulp. Her last few worlds have been uttered slowly and with an unmasked condescension, "That he has changed. He's a good man. And he loves you more than…" She trails off.

"Where is this even coming from?" Santana takes Brittany's hand and pulls them both up. "You're being weird Quinn."

"—And hurtful" adds Brittany as she turns for the door first.

"Stop being so fucking immature. Both of you! You're acting like he doesn't have feelings! Like he hasn't sacrificed—"

"Oh my God I'm going to slap you if I don't leave."

"Go ahead."

"Leave? Or slap you?"

"Slap me, bitch. I dare you."

"No," Brittany says from the door.

"If this is you telling me you're in love with Puck…that you fucked him and you're sorry. I forgive you. But don't try and guilt trip—"

"You're so fucking stupid...so dumb…" Quinn is talking to the space above Santana's head.

Brittany drags the smaller girl out of the room as she repeats "Is she serious right now?"

/

"An illicit love affair?" Rachel's eyes balloon.

After Quinn's…reaction...Santana was in no mood to tell everyone else one by one, so Brittany gathered Rachel, Tina, Finn, Artie, and Mercedes in her room and she spoke while Santana sat back on a bed.

"It's not illicit. We can read." Brittany said matter-of-factly.

"So this is why you guys were fighting?" Finn asked.

"Duh." Santana grunted angrily from the bed.

"I see some one won't be going through a honeymoon phase…" Tina said rolling her eyes.

"Oh, we're in it…it's just. We told Quinn first…and she was really weird about it. Like mean weird…Like in the movie—oh. Oh gosh." Brittany covered her mouth with both hands and left the room abruptly.

Santana sighed and rolled her eyes. "Listen guys, despite my shitty mood. We're actually really happy. I apologized…Tina"—Tina blushed with a half smile—"and we're going to be good to each other. We wanted to share with our best friends. We love each other and we…ugh…we love you, okay?"

Artie motioned for Santana to come to him. She got up reluctantly with a confused smile on her face. When she got close enough, he pulled her on to his lap and the New Directions surrounded her in a group hug. "Corny as hell." She said laughing.

/

Santana found Brittany pacing in front of her dorm when she returned.

"What the hell was that, Britt?" She said unlocking the door and letting the anxious blonde in. The dancer locked the door behind them and pulled Santana to the furthest corner of the room. She stared at the brunette, as they stood there huddled.

"Britt…I can't go again. I'm ti—"

"San…listen to my thoughts right now."

"I'm not Sara. I can't hear them."

"Okay. I'll give you a hint…earlier in my room when we were telling our friends about us," –she paused to place a peck on the smaller girl's lips—"I was about to say that Quinn was acting just like Juno when she finds out Paulie was going to prom with someone else."

Santana furrowed her brow. "Brittany…"

"You're Paulie…wait no…maybe Puck's Paulie…One of you guys is Paulie. She's jealous."

"Okay…"

"She's also pregnant."


	11. Chapter 11

11.

Quinn stood up after the girls left. She gasped in mock surprise then laughed a little at herself. She'd been able to walk for a while, but one of the first steps had been in the wrong direction.

Only Puck knew her secret…well secrets. Of their friends, they had been the only two who stayed on campus during Columbus Day. Neither had any real desire to spend more than the required amount of holiday time with their families. They had pretty much kept to themselves for the long weekend, until Quinn asked Puck to assist her insome physical therapy exercises. When he helped her stand and then let go to let her walk, she didn't even know it was happening. She looked back and saw him beaming and lost her balance with excitement. He bent to catch her before she hit the floor and they laughed into a kiss. Then another. And one more before she turned in his arms; giving him permission.

The sex had been quick and kind of amazing; just as it always is in the heat of the moment. Nonetheless, she apologized afterward as he cried. Yes. Cried. He explainedthat Santana had always been it for him. Quinn nodded silently; she felt the same way. About all of them that is, they were all it for her… She felt guilty about what she'd done not just because Puck was her best friend's boyfriend,but also because there was a certain amount of vengeancethat made it feel so good. This is what happened when her best friends left her out; when she didn't feel like part of something. However, her manipulative nature was longer a point of pride, for she too had turned a new leaf…almost. So, she agreed to keep his secret if he agreed to keep hers.

Of course, weeks later they found themselves having the same conversation they'd had two years ago…But no. It was different. Puck said he'd help raise the child, just as long as he could continue making Santana happy. Quinn smiled gratefully through a cringe. He was kind, but pulling away…everyone was always being torn from her clutches. Shelby took Beth. Santana took Brittany took Santana took Puck took Santana. Finally realizing that something was wrong with her, and not everyone else, she punished herself by staying in the chair. It was in this way that she rediscovered Artie; who turned out to be the most sincere and compassionate boy she'd ever met. How did she not see it in high school? He was righteous and it was rubbing off on her. She could be good…

/

Santana hated how sure she was that Brittany was right. She and Sara had always had these weird, other-worldlynotions that came to fruition. Honestly, she was surprised that it took Sara so long to correctly guess she was in love with her little sister.

The brunette had been pacing for a while after the revelation. Brittany sat on top of the desk, cross-legged and biting her nails; glancing at Santana, whose brows were pushed down so low, her lashes skimmed them as she blinked.

"Can she even have sex?"

Brittany jumped at the sudden shout. "Well…Artie could," She said carefully.

"Gross."

"Sorry."

Santana huffed in frustration, how could she have missed so much? What was she paying attention to if not her best friend (at that point) or her boyfriend?

Brittany got up and gave her a tight hug. The brunette sighed into it, spreading her palms on the girl's shoulder blades.

"I'm just as blind as I was without my contacts," she muttered into Brittany's shoulder. The dancer giggled, rubbing her back.

"It's not your fault you don't' have my powers."

"But they were right in front of me the whole time…I shouldn't need powers."

She pulled away slouching and threw her body on the bed. "I'm just going to avoid them both," she said staring at the ceiling.

"What a horrible idea, San." Brittany chirped ironically.Santana brought a blanket over her face and turned towards the wall. There was a heavy pause as Brittany watched form the desk.

"Um..." She said timidly. "Do you...Are you thinking we made a mistake?"

Silence. She scooted off the desk and hovered over Santana who remained in a ball under the sheets. She bit the inside of her cheek and stared for a while before turning to leave.

/

"The deal's off."

"NO! No! I didn't say anything, Please Puck, No!"

"You said enough, Quinn. She'll figure it out." He shot her a look of disgust and added, "Ugh. I can't believe you!" He stood and ran a hand through his non-existent Mohawk; it had become a nervous habit.

"Listen Puck, I can fix this. Just. Just don't do anything, ok? I'm so sorry. "

"Why? What-What made you say all that?"

Quinn brought her eyes to the floor. A deep crease grew in the boy's brow.

"It wasn't unprovoked; I know that. The old Quinn would play those games, but not you…" He stood in front of her, "What's up?"

"You should…you should hear it from her…talk to her."

"Quinn! You're driving me crazy here! You owe me this, just tell me! Is she ok? Is everything alright?."

"Yes Puck Yes! She's—"

"She's what, Quinn! Jesus!"

"I can't tell you."

Puck turned away from her, his face red and flooded with pulsing veins. He wasn't the type to punch walls or really do anything violent in front of a girl. But he remained blind with anger. Quinn watched him begin to storm out. "It's Brittany! Ok? "

He turned slowly on his heels. "What's Brittany?"

"She's with Brittany. Santana's been with Brittany…They're in…"

"Love?"

Quinn nodded.

He crossed his arms in utter disbelief. With all his heart he would never have seen this coming.

"Please don't tell Artie about me, Puck. I'm begging you!" Quinn screamed as he slammed the door behind him minutes later.

/

Brittany's jaw unhinged at the sight. The knob to Quinn's door was still in her hand and her eyes had made their way up two very sturdy legs to meet a pair of shifty emerald eyes. Quinn dropped into the chair directly behind her.

"Britt…listen to me—"

"What are those?" Brittany closed the door behind her and pointed to Quinn's legs.

"Before you—"

"I said what are those! What were you doing?"

Quinn had never in her life heard Brittany raise her voice and it honestly made her want to smile, but she was also more than a little terrified. "I—standing. I was standing"

Brittany rounded the girl, looking her up and down with the same disgust and disbelief Puck had thrown her way just minutes ago. As she did so, Quinn spoke.

"Did you see Puck on your way up here?"

Brittany finally made her way back to Quinn's front and crossed her arms. She said nothing.

"Did you? This is important."

"So you made me feel worse than anyone else…You were almost as mad at me as Santana when I lied…"

"He's mad, Britt. Do you hear me? I need to know if you saw him."

"You bitch."

Quinn's eyes widened and she rose quickly. "What?"

"Is that how you made your baby? Standing? On your legs that work?"

"So you did see him."

"No Quinn. I came in through the entrance in the dining hall. I haven't fucking seen Puck, Ok?"

Quinn held up her hands, though her temper was beginningto escalate.

"I'm looking out for you, He—"

"Looking out for me? You're a horrible person! The whole time your lies were worse than mine! I c—can't…" Brittany shook her head furiously, turning to leave.

"Wait, Brittany." Quinn placed a hand on the other blonde's shoulder, but it was smacked away.

"Do not. Touch me."

They glared at each other. Waiting.

"I told him." Quinn finally hissed.

Brittany turned fully and found herself nose to nose with the girl.

"What?."

"About you and Santana."

"We asked you not to."

Quinn shrugged. And suddenly a hand was crawling up the back of her neck and pulling her hair by the root; she was being forced back into a squat by her head and there were icy blue eyes crying into her face.

"Someone's going to get hurt, Quinn."

/

Puck had been pounding on Santana's door for at least 25 minutes. She had been startled awake by it, but attempted to get back into a nap just to calm the infinite thoughtsmilling about her mind. It was no use. She finally got up and swung the door open carelessly, as the boy flew by her.Santana closed the door and leaned back against it, watching him rest his forehead on a hand curled over a fist.

The brunette sighed. "I can't talk right now Puck."

He didn't move.

"There's actually a lot we should talk about…but I don't really feel—"

"Shut up for a second." He lifted his head and now his chin rested on his knuckles. His eyebrows were raised and his mouth remained a straight line as he thought. Santana looked as if she'd just been smacked.

"Sorry," He softened and approached her. Something of his fell to the ground just before the reached her and as he crouched to pick it up; he spoke to the ground,

"I talked to Quinn."

"Oh?" Santana whispered.

"She told me about you…and Britt."

He heard Santana's head thud against the door behind it.

"What a bitch." She hissed, but her tone soon changed as she looked at the crown of the boy's head; he obviously couldn't bear to get back up and look at her. "I'm sorry, Puck. I was getting ready to tell you…I just…I kind of just found out myself." An awkward laugh escaped. "Sorry. I…I really do—"

She stopped as he looked up with tears in his eyes

And a ring in his palm.

"Marry me?"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: false alarm? Haha well this is awkward...let's pretend I never left hmm? So from now on I'll be here AND on tumblr. Say hey ! Rockpaperscissorslizardrock(.)tumblr(.)com**

12.

Brittany had lied again.

To be fair, she did so only to catch Quinn in her own web of deceit. It didn't seem important, you see, that she actually had seen Puck on her way in. But it became clear to the taller blonde that she wouldn't get her answers until Quinn got hers…and saying 'no she hadn't seen him' was honestly easier. Easier than explaining her bizarre encounter with Noah Puckerman.

They found each other just outside Quinn's building, he leaving and she entering, but both a bit manic.

"Britt!" Puck said with a crazy kind of smile.

"Puck, can't talk. Gotta—"

"Let me—Just wait—" He grabbed her arm as she tried to run past him. "Let me

ask you a question." He said intensely as they now stood side by side; facing

opposite directions. She looked down at the hand squeezing the crook of her

elbow.

He removed it hastily.

"You ok?" She asked.

"I was…Santana asked me to uh, stop by." He lied. "Have—have you seen her?"

"Yeah, I just left her room…she's not really…talking."

"Oh. Well she just texted me."

Brittany's face fell. "Oh," She now turned to face him fully.

"I don't think she's happy, Britt." He paused as she shrugged "…with you."

Suddenly she shook her head. "No. We made up."

He sighed, meaning something entirely different. "You want her to be happy

though. right? If I could make her smile right now, you'd want me to do that

right?"

She furrowed her brow, "Of…course Puck…"

"She's had a bad year…and she kinda doesn't need anymore tough times, don'tyou

think?"

"What are you—?"

"It just reminds me of Kurt…and his tough year…youknow…Santana's year

reminds me of that…and like, it's important for things to get easier…and uh, not

more complicated…like they did for Kurt, you know? Like with family and

junk…that would suck."

"Ok…" Brittany's shifting her weight because she can't really waste any more time, but she's dying to figure out what the hell he's talking about.

"But there's a way to make sure that never happens again. As her friends… there's got to be sacrifice… Get me?"

"I guess…" Brittany nodded slowly, losing interest; her thoughts quickly drifting to

Quinn.

"Right, so some of us need to step up and others are gonnastep back. But really

we're working together, me and you. To make her happy, I mean… who knows

her better right? Better than us? You just keep being her friend… " He looked at

the ground for a minute, then back up to Brittany, "I'll give her a ring… she'll go

for that right?"

"Sounds like a good idea. I really don't think she wants to see anyone right now…

Maybe even try a text. Listen, we can talk later, ok? Igotta go."

"Hey Britt…I know you're sorry…"

Brittany turned back as she skipped away and nodded.

"Me too, Britt. I'm sorry too."

She saw the shadow of a sad smile on his face as he turned and wondered if they

were talking about her being sorry about lying. She hadthis sinking feeling that at

no point in that conversation were they ever talking about the same thing.

It was only after Quinn confessed to telling Puck that it hit Brittany; the

realization of what she may have given the boy permission to do.

It was a surge of wildly uncharacteristic rage that pulsed through her, sending her

hands to the other blonde's head. But instead of screaming, she cried. She held the

girl down and cried.

Quinn on the other hand, did scream. She grabbed for the hand at the back of her

head and tried to loosen it's grip on her hair.

"Brittany! FUCK!"

The taller blonde pulled tighter and clenched her jaw; continuing to glare at Quinn, whose eyes were tearing involuntarily.

"He's gonna take her away," the taller girl growled, finally letting go and throwing the other girl on her back. As she tried to get up, Brittany pouted and lifted her by the shirt,

"Do you know what we've been through?"

Quinn flailed. Brittany took her by the jaw "Do you?"

"You don't talk to me, Brittany, the fuck would I know?" Quinn managed between gritted teeth.

"You knew. Every time our threesomes became you watching us…you knew."

"I had no idea it was this serious. Please let go, you're hurting me."

"No. You hurt me."

Quinn's hands were at Brittany's wrists for the second time. They were toe to toe, breathing each other's hotbreath. Finally, the shorter girl scratched. Brittany flinched and let go, giving Quinn the opportunity to wind up a smack that brought stars to the dancer's eyes. She shook it off and threw herself at a pair of, what she now knew to be, fully functional legs; pinning her rather carefully to the ground.

"Stop." Brittany panted. "Please."

"You stop!"

"Tell me what your problem is."

"Like this?"

"I'm not getting off you."

"Ugh. Britt."

Brittany remained straddled over the girl and tightened her grip on the wrists she held over her head. Quinn turned her head and gazed under her own bed for a long while. She started to blink.

"You guys," She started suddenly, "were all I knew. My whole life…and if I got lonely, there was always Puck. There were times when I could tell you and Santana had something different…but I never felt left out. Then, when you fought...it was like we were all fighting. I didn't hear from either of you, and I was like ' what the fuck did I do?', you know? Like, when did I become insignificant? We used to hang out Britt…just us two…"

Brittany let go of Quinn's arms and sat on her legs.

"This is gonna sound mean…" She confessed, slumping her shoulders. "But…in the beginning, we just used you to get each other in bed."

Quinn thought for a moment, she wanted to be offended,but ended up laughing instead.

Brittany smiled.

"But it was never about that, Quinn. We've always best friends; the three of us…just things change. I'm sorry if we left you out, but you didn't want any part of the bad times. And the good times… I know you thought it was just fooliing around and stuff…but it got pretty serious."

"I noticed." Quinn gently pushed Brittany off her and they sat side by side.

"Santana's the source of my powers, you know. I saw her in a dream before I even met her.…" She took a quick look at Quinn, "I flunked because I only went to the classes we had together. There was no point in going to the other ones because I'd just spend that time thinking about seeing her again…Every thing I did was to be with her. Do you know what that feels like?"

The other girl shrugged and gazed at her wheelchair.

"She's like those finger traps"

"Ew."

"Not like that Quinn. It's like, the risk makes it worth it. You've got to do the opposite of what you're used to. And that's when you realize you don't need to escape. You were free the whole time." Brittany suddenly frowned, "And…we just started getting comfortable, me and her. It took us so, so long to get to this place. And now he's just going to make it look easy. And take her to his world."

"So go… stop him. duh."

Brittany shook her head. "No."

"Why not?'

"Shouldn't she?"

/

"You can't be serious." Santana was shaking.

Puck began to smile as he dried his tears. "Please? Let me…?"

"Noah Puckerman. I'm trying to tell you I love Brittany. What are you doing?" She attempted to pull him up off of his knees.

"I know I know. She knows I'm better for you though."

"No you're not."

"Yes. She said so herself. Said I should put a ring on it…since I like it and all. She even did the dance …"

"Noah, this isn't a joke." Santana knelt in front of him. "Is that what she said?"

"Ok, she didn't do the dance. In all seriousness, I asked if I should give you a ring. She said yes. She knows what's good for you, San. Just like me."

Santana shook her head and stood up again. "I don't understand," She mumbled. "She asked if I thought we were making a mistake…how could she think I'd give up so quickly?"

Puck got up and slipped the ring on to her finger as he swooped in to peck a cheek.

"I love you, Mrs. Puckerman." He waggled his brows as he left.

/

"Just come over."

"No. I'm not moving."

"Santana, I can hardly hear you."

"All the lights are off and I'm under every sheet I own. I can't take this shit."

"Are you listening to Alanis?"

"Almost."

"Come over."

"You come here."

"I'm making dinner… Which you should probably start learning a thing or two about, if you're planning on becoming domestic."

"Why does everyone seem to think this is a joke?"

"I'm sorry. I don't… Well, yes I kind of do. NoahPuckerman is pulling out all the stops and it's just kind of ridiculous…almost as ridiculous as you considering his proposal."

"Berry…she okay'd it…I didn't know what else to do."

"Santana. Listen to me: Talk. To. Her. This is how you guys got into it the first time. Communication is absolutely essential, do you hear me?

"Yes, "Santana mumbled.

"And even if she did okay it…how is your only option saying yes? There's another, shorter word that could have gotten you out of this mess much faster."

Silence.

"Do you follow? The word is 'No', Santana. I know you neither say, nor hear it very often, but the word is No."

"Watch it."

"Oh sorry, are you busy?" A soft voice came from insidethe room and Santana sprang up, digging herself out of the layers of quilt. She emerged with a nest of tousled hair atop her head and a look of alarm on her face.

The brunette fumbled with her phone and hung it up. She hadn't even heard the

other girl come in.

"Are you done with your nap?"

Santana nodded, gulping.

Brittany was looking at her hands and biting her lip withan intensity that

broke Santana's heart. She patted the space next to her on the bed. The dancer

approached cautiously, sitting rigidly on the edge and hanging her legs off of the

side.

"So Puck came to see me," Santana rubbed the other girl's back.

"I know." Brittany pouted.

"What happened, Honey?"

The blonde turned quickly and snuggled up to Santana's chest. "You tell me first.

Mine's embarrassing."

Santana wrapped her arms around her and smiled into blonde hair, "Babe. What's

with you and embarrassment these days?"

Brittany shrugged in the smaller girls arms and said, "I guess it's a phase," into her

chest.

"Hmph. I remember when Brittany S. Pierce taught me how not to give a shit about

what anyone else thought." Brittany giggled.

"Really it's me who should be embarrassed," Santana continued, beginning to

tickle the dancer's back.

"Why?"

"Noah Puckerman asked me to be his wife."

Santana could feel Brittany's eyelashes blinking slowly on the skin above her

heart.

"But you're my wife." She whispered.

"I tried to tell him that. How much I…I love you Brittany."

Brittany looked up into Santana's eyes.

"Why would you tell him it was okay with you if he married me?"

"Well first, I got confused. He said he'd give you a ring, like a call?…So I thought that was allowed. But then he started talking about sacrifice and stepping up…he said you'd had a hard year like Kurt…and Kurt's…you know...like us…I just don't want you to get slushied."

Santana cocked an eyebrow. "Who's gonna slushie me here?"

"Who's not? Same people. Same town…Just different kind of slushies…I can take it, but I don't want to see you—"

"I can take care of myself, Britt. Okay?"

Brittany nodded. They got comfortable on the bed and lay facing each other. Santana began playing with Brittany's hair as they gazed into each other's eyes, so close that they gave each other unintentional Eskimo kisses andspoke in whispers.

"I killed Quinn." Brittany said smiling.

"I've taught you well. Always go after her when she'spreggo."

"No, I didn't really hurt her …we kind of fought though…like wrestled a bit. I sat on her, but not her belly."

"Hot."

"San!"

Santana shrugged with a smirk.

"My parents get home tomorrow…and…and I think we should talk to them."

Brittany beamed, "About what?"

Santana's hand lingered on the end of a blonde curl thatstopped just above the girl's breast. Her knuckles grazed it as she played.

"This girl I'm in love with."

"What's she like?"

"She's like…" Santana took a deep breath, "every shade of plum in a sunset… impossibly divine. I don't know anyone who's not in love with her—but no one loves her like me."

Brittany turned her face into the pillow to hide the rouge of her cheeks. When the heat dispersed, she looked back to Santana sharing her goofy smile.

"So yes? Tomorrow we blow the Doctors Lopez's minds?Do you want to come with me?"

The dancer nodded,

"I do."

/

The girls skipped classes the next day to take their road trip.

And even so, it took them two hours longer than it should have to get to the Lopez residence. Probably because they stopped at gas stations for ridiculous amounts of candy and lemonade, then lay in every open field they encountered just to stare at the sky. But really it was the Toys R Us that took most of their travel time. At 10:18 on a Tuesday morning it was pretty much vacant. So they did what they always used to do, squeezed into some Barbie cars and drove them around the entire store without a single person stopping them.

"Britt! Your ankle!" Santana suddenly screeched her brakes.

Brittany cackled as she sped up.

They weaved through a line of basketball hopes,Transformers aisles, and even Sesame Street itself. But when they encountered the instruments, the four wheelerswere immediately disregarded. When the out of breath,red-headed employee finally found them, they made up a song about his fire crotch on the ukulele and a keyboardbefore being escorted out.

They sang this song for the rest of the ride and even hummed it on the Lopez doorstep as they waited for entrance.

Abuela Lopez swung the door open like the tour de force she was.

"Pero que bellezas! Las dos! Ven pa'ca preciosas! " Sheembraced both girls.

Santana's parents appeared behind the older woman with Cheshire grins aimed at the shorter girl as Abuelacontinued to fawn over "La Rubia". Mrs. Lopez reachedfor Santana's hand, leading the party of five to the living room and suddenly it all became clear.

Puck sat anxiously on a plush white sofa; he even jumped a little at the sight of his betrothed. Santana's mother grazed a thumb over the band of gold on her daughter'sring finger.

"I uh, I couldn't wait." He looked up, his mouth twitching into an awkward smile.


	13. Chapter 13

13.

"I'm gonna shoot him!" Santana whispered angrily as she shot daggers at Puck from the kitchen, "I'm gonna shoot him or light him on fire."

"Shoot him?"

"Yes."

"With what?"

"I dunno. Abuela's always packin'"

Brittany thought for a moment.

"Does she grip the glock when she walks down a crowded block?"

"Trust me. The block does not have to be crowded."

The girls stood side by side as Santana stirred her famous Salsa to perfection. It was really the only thing she pretended to know how to cook. The rest of the Lopez family sat at the table waiting to be served; laughing while giving an already nervous Puck the third degree.

"What's going on?" Brittany finally said, pouting.

"Britt…I came in at the same time as you…I have no fucking clue. He must've done that gentlemanly 'ask for the parents blessing' thing. What an idiot…it's not romantic if you do it behind my back. Much less if I didn't even say yes." Santana glared over her shoulder at her parents' elated expressions.

"But you didn't say no." Brittany grumbled, beginning to set the table.

As she did so, Abuela watched her every move. When she was within arms reach, the older woman grabbed her hand saying,

"Me encanta esta amiga de Santana, que nena mas atenta."

"Gracias," The blonde responded with a curtsey.

"Abuela, you remember Brittany." Santana said setting the final dish down and sitting between her best friend and her mother; across from Puck, her father, and

Abuela, who nodded happily.

"She'll be your maid of honor, I gather." Mr. Lopez said taking his first bite.

"Um…so what's transpired here? What did I miss?" Santana changed the subject; gesturing towards Puck.

"Well your fiancé—" Brittany visibly cringed—"showed up first thing this morning crying about wanting to marry you." Mrs. Lopez laughed. Puck joined her, but defended himself,

"It wasn't like that, San. You know how the cold wind makes me tear up. They had me waiting outside so long—"

"Right," Mr. Lopez chuckled.

Mrs. Lopez turned to her daughter, no longer able to contain her excitement, "I was thinking the church over on Third…right? But we can start scouting locations if you don't agree. Then Brittany can round up the rest of the bridesmaids and get started…" The woman blathered on, turning to face the entire table when Santana rolled her eyes. The brunette faced Brittany and sighed at her best friend's weak smile. Shaking her head, Santana giggled,

"Salsa all up on your chin," She said scooping it up with her thumb. She faltered for a moment, both of them looking from the extended thumb to each other's eyes…knowing what they'd do if no one else was around.

Brittany did it anyway.

She sucked the thumb clean and pulled away with an "mmm"; locking eyes with Santana. The brunette needed a change of panties. She watched enraptured, as her best friend's tongue curled over a top lip. Everyone else in the room disappeared, and the only thing that mattered was that pretty mouth. One by one, the other sets of eyes caught on to the scene and the conversation lulled .

"She knows I don't like to waste her sauce," Brittany said smiling sweetly, while glaring at Puck. It took Santana a few moments to stop staring at the blonde's lips. Finally, she turned to her family nodding dizzily. They agreed with proud smiles, they knew their baby could cook.

Puck scowled.

"So you were saying I could stay over?" He growled, eyes still glued to the blonde.

"Sure, Sweetheart." Mrs. Lopez chirped.

The boy smiled menacingly then went back to his meal.

"And you too Brittany, we have much to discuss." She continued, reaching around to squeeze the girl's arm.

"No problem Mama Lo. Bet my side of the bed is still warm." She giggled in Puck's direction.

"Claro que si!" Mrs. Lopez laughed.

"Puck, the guest room's all set for you. Right next to the girls, so you'll probably have to put up with their cluck clucking all night long." Mr. Lopez said nonchalantly leaning back to pat his full stomach.

"Cluck clucking indeed." Brittany smirked into another forkful.

/

The dishwasher hummed and everyone was still in a blissful food coma after dinner. Papa Lopez sat in front of the television and asked Noah to join, but the boy knew better. He sat at the table with the girls, even if it meant dying of boredom while listening to wedding dress, guest, and planner talk. At least he could enjoy Abuela's famous flan while shooting Brittany hateful stares. The blonde was smug, though. Santana sat between her and her mom, so she had every opportunity to place a teasing hand on the brunette's thigh while nodding at the pages Mrs. Lopez pointed to in the magazines.

Santana's breath was shallow. She knew Brittany was punishing her, but she couldn't help enjoying it.

"Oh!" She gasped as the blonde suddenly cupped her over her jeans.

"It's too expensive dear, it is quite beautiful though." Mrs. Lopez said obliviously looking at the dress on the newly turned page.

"Ma, I'm…oh God…I'm not getting married." Santana reluctantly took Brittany's hand away. Her mother turned to her with a knowing smile and started to pet her hair.

"Hijita, I admit, I was a little perturbed, you kids being so young and all. But then Noah here told us of his entrepreneurial aspirations and I couldn't help but be proud that my daughter found such a catch. Your father and I aren't around very often…and it would be lovely to know that you're taken care of when we're away. It breaks my heart when leave you alone Baby."

"You don't under—wait, what?"

Mrs. Lopez nodded as she took Santana into a tight embrace. The brunette slowly returned the hug, completely caught off guard. They pulled away and Santana's mother wiped away a few stray tears bashfully. Puck smiled victoriously as Brittany looked away.

"Mom…I didn't know it meant that much to you."

"What do you think? We like our only girl having to fend for herself? I mean, sure you have Brittany here, and she does the best she can but…we've barely heard from her in the past year! She's got her own life, right Sweetie?" Mrs. Lopez smiled.

Brittany shook her head.

"Sure she does. Took forever for you two to grow apart, though. Attached at the hip so long. High time you both got some serious boyfriends."

"Santana's my—"

"Brittany got left back." Puck just about screamed.

"Noah!" Santana hissed.

"Oh?...Well, that's ok," Mrs. Lopez smiled through a look of concern. "See what I mean though, Santana? Everyone's got their own problems, and if Puck here's willing to look after my little girl, then God bless 'im!"

"I'd just like to say that Puck barely passed." Brittany chimed in. Abuela got up and put an arm around Brittany; crouching down to say,

"That's all well and good, but I'm more worried about you, Love. Why don't the three of us have lunch tomorrow? Catch up with my other grand daughter and my soon to be grandson-in-law?" in her accented English.

The blonde gave a half smile and shrugged. "'K."

Puck nodded.

Mrs. Lopez did the same, looking from her mother to Brittany and locking on to those blue eyes so she could search for any signs of trouble. She'd practically raised this girl and it disturbed her to find that she was slipping through the cracks. Everybody knew that education, to the Lopez's was not something you just do, you lived it and you never stopped. Which is how Santana's parents justified the fact that they were always gone…they were simply fulfilling their duties and continuing to learn.

This, Santana understood. She'd never held it against them because in spite of their living situation, they'd always been loving and attentive—if not quite present. They did their best; sending weekly care packages, having their mothers stay with her when she was younger, and showering her with letters and emails daily. Though the girl knew she was loved, she had been looking far and wide for her parents' approval. Because their standards were so high, it had always been hard to impress them. To think that this was all it took to make them proud, marrying a sleazeball like Noah Puckerman, sent her mind reeling.

/

The Doctors Lopez drove Abuela home on their way to the hospital, as they had on call clinic hours.

"I'm going to bed." Santana announced heading upstairs the moment the door was locked.

"Night Misses." Puck said pulling her in to a dip and kissing her passionately.

She came up swaying from the impact. "Jesus Puckerman, I'll see you in about eight hours…. wildly unnecessary."

"Always necessary," He said following her up the stairs. Brittany trailed behind them seething.

Santana brushed her teeth in her own bathroom while the other two shared the one in the hallway, growling through toothpaste,

"Santana hates you, you know. She's not going to marry you."

"Right. She was real resistant looking through wedding magazines, Britt… Don't you see everything I can promise her? What've you got, Britt? Hmm? You don't even know when you're handing her over to me." They both spit and he chuckled, "You can barely keep her, how in the hell are you going to keep her happy?"

The blonde pushed him roughly.

"You tricked me! I didn't know what you were talking about, and you knew that."

"Not my fault. I was pretty clear about my intentions." He laughed, catching himself as he stumbled back into shower door.

'You knew I wouldn't understand." She jabbed him with the handle of her toothbrush.

"Ow! How could I know that, Britt? Hmm?" He snatched it out of her hand. " All I know is she's mine now."

"You're right." She said slowly walking to the sink, rinsing out her mouth and drying her hands. "That's why in an empty house, with no parents to tell her she can't, she still chose to sleep with me. In her bed. Wrapped in my arms. Yep. You definitely win." She said with a wink as she left. Puck remained dumfounded, mouth agape as he dropped both of their brushes.

/

"You have to tell them," The blonde whispered into her girlfriend's mouth. They lay facing each other, just like the night before, but this time the room was pitch black.

"I will," Santana husked, lazily dragging a finger over the other girl's lips.

"Just like you told me…about plum sunsets and everything…"

"You feeling threatened, Babe?" the smaller girl teased.

"No," Brittany kissed the finger on her mouth.

"Good...he can't compete with these lips…" Santana briefly cupped the dancer's mound, "Or these."

Brittany exhaled all the air from her lungs as that familiar pulse began.

"Besides, I can't tell my parents _everything_ about the girl I love."

"Why not?"

"Well I left out some pretty important parts, " The brunette's hand was making its way up the blonde's body.

Brittany smiled as she felt her breast squeezed over the shirt Santana let her borrow.

"Like how she's got these great tits…. " The blonde moaned as the brunette pinched a nipple.

"She loves it when I do that, you know."

"I bet she likes it when you do this too, huh?' Brittany reached under the brunette's panties and began to trace a series of light circles between the already slippery folds she found there.

Santana moaned, "Yeah, she loves that."

"So wet," Brittany gasped.

"…Teasing me all night, Britt…Can't believe you sucked my thumb in front of everyone…so fucking hot."

Suddenly there was hot breath at the blonde's turgid nipple. She arched her back as Santana sucked roughly then bit lightly. The fingers that had been making light circles entered the brunette unexpectedly.

"Oh Fuck!" She gasped loudly, her head falling back.

Brittany's eyes rolled as Santana copied her ministrations."More," She purred.

The smaller girl did as she was told, pumping as she began rolling her own hips against the fingers inside her.

The blonde watched mesmerized and began to sync their movements.

"Mmm , Santana you're so fucking sexy,"

"Ungh," the brunette panted.

They screamed in unison as wave after wave of orgasm hit.

"I like when you curse, Britt," Santana said as they lay in afterglow.

"Turns me on."

Brittany smirked and began to pepper kisses on her girlfriend's neck, when she got to the shell of her ear she whispered,

"I'm gonna fuck you until your parents come home. I'll spell out every bad word I know into you with my tongue."

The brunette shuttered through a small climax in response.

/

Puck stirred noisily. Folding and unfolding his arms. Pounding his fist on the bed and grunting. He could hear every single noise the girls made. He heard his fiancé screech, then squeal, then pant Brittany's name in ways she'd never done for him well into the wee hours of the morning. After they presumably passed out and he could finally hear himself think, Puck wondered why he didn't just leave. Forget the whole thing…

He couldn't. He was selfish.

Quinn had always brought him down a few notches, but Santana had expectations, she pulled him up to her superior level and he needed to hold on to that. If being with her meant showing her that he could be what she needed too, he would make her see.

He smiled realizing that there was no Santana without the Lopezes. She'd have to come to his side, even if the four of them had to team up and drag her over.


	14. Chapter 14

14.

Brittany had been up for a while. She knew Abuela liked to eat early and it was imperative that she neither smell, look or feel like sex in her presence. She should probably untangle herself from Santana if that's the case…but every time she started to try, that pretty face would nudge itself further into her neck. And it was just so rare that she get to hold her like this and watch her sleep. She was naked; they both were. So the blonde took her time letting her fingers play over the slope of the smaller girl's hip; watching the hair splayed on her face flutter as she breathed heavily; taking in the feel of her belly button as she caressed it with her knuckles. Santana was absolutely the most beautiful girl in the world. But it was only possible to take it all in as she slept. And honestly, it was best to try and feel it, rather than look directly at her. It was silly really. The fact that she still had such a huge crush on the girl who she'd had so many times…silly but true. Brittany scooted back and let her eyes trace over the face she'd memorized; from hairline to brows, bridge of the nose to tip of the chin…at peace. No scowl. No furrowed brow.

"Santana?" She whispered, running a hand along her cheek, poking it where she knew a dimple would be if the brunette were smiling. "San?"

Brittany took a deep breath "Um…I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here…I can't watch you marry Puck…and…it kind of looks like you're gonna...You didn't tell your parents yesterday and you had plenty of chances. So…I guess if this is what you really want...you know, because it's easier? I can try and understand. But…I can't be your maid of honor. I really can't. I love you too much to watch this show seated front and center. You're mine and I'm yours everybody knows it. And you can keep lying to yourself …but I won't do it. Count me out."

The blonde placed a tender kiss to two plumb lips...then a tentative one on an olive-skinned forehead and finally pulled herself out of bed. Before she left the room, she heard a light snore and sighed.

* * *

Abuela smiled at the scene in front of her. It shouldn't have been funny, but it was. Both of these kids had the biggest grimaces on their faces. No one should be this unhappy and at such a young age, she thought…especially not on the brink of a wedding! They ate grumpily; Brittany sadly cramming whole pancakes into her frowning mouth and Puck chomping his salad while trying to hide his venomous side-eyes in the dancer's direction.

"Ugh Britt. Why'd you pick this place? It's gross."

"It's Santana's favorite." She said not looking up.

Puck's eyes widened. "I-I know" He smiled at Abuela.

Abuela smiled back. "I want you to know that you two are now officially in charge of my baby's happiness. Noah, as her husband, you must provide and keep her safe. And Brittany, keep her fed in the ways a man cannot. "

Brittany's brows shot up…and she could have _sworn_ she saw the shadow of a smirk grace the older woman's face.

The blonde cleared her throat, "She uh, knows she can confide in me. I'll always be there for her…but I have to—"

"I'm thinking we can just grab some roses and run through the church on third. Small…intimate." Puck interrupted.

Abuela frowned.

Brittany spoke into her plate. "Santana hates roses. Actually, all the Lopezes hate roses…."

Puck laughed incredulously at the girl, so she continued.

"Rememeber? Her cousin Polanco pushed her into a rose bush when she was little? Her stubborn self tried to wrestle out of it and made it so much worse."

Abuela chuckled reminiscing. "Brittany was so cute, she cried the whole time Santana's wounds were being tended to."

"Well, I was supposed to push him back…but I couldn't take my eyes off of her."

"I miss my house in the Dominican Republic. Having you girls over for the summers was the highlight of my year."

"Mine too…I miss your arroz con leche..soooo good." Brittany finally let a smile break through.

"What's that?" Puck spoke up.

"This delicious breakfast…it's like rice pudding, but warm…and I always got to put Santana's cinnamon stick in my bowl." Abuela and Brittany shared a long laugh.

"I'm sure she didn't let that slide," The boy said matter-of-factly, slicing into an egg and letting the yolk run.

The laugh ended abruptly. The older woman grew concerned and let Brittany respond.

"Why not?'

"I mean…she probably didn't like you taking it, right? You know how she loves her food."

"You're kidding right?" Brittany looked to Abuela for confirmation that this wasn't a joke. "She's deathly allergic to cinnamon, Puck..."

"She is?"

"Oh my God."

"Shut up Britt! I just…I forgot…I mean. How could I have known she fell into a rose bush and all your little best friend secrets? Now I know why the Lopezes don't like roses." He shrugged tensely.

"That's not why the Lopezes don't like roses. That's why _Santana_ doesn't like them. She gave a presentation in 8th grade about the Lopez rose omen and her great Aunt Maite... you were sitting right next to me."

"Surprised you didn't skip that class too."

"That's enough Noah," Abuela warned.

"No I didn't. I would never miss an opportunity to be with Sa—" Brittany caught herself. "Anyway…I was thinking Tulips…tulips for the bouquets."

Another smile was shared between the two women.

"Now what?" Puck rolled his eyes.

"Her favorite poem, Puck? 'Two lips/Tulips?' Please tell me you'll at least get them in her favorite color?"

The boy swallowed thickly and began to perspire.

"Yellow Puck! YELLOW!" Brittany slammed a twenty on the table and tripped over chairs as she began to storm away. But first she turned around.

"You know…" She looked sadly to Abuela for a second then focused a glare on Puck, "You have to actually _love _her. You can't just make her happy with your stupid money and your ridiculous plans…it's not all about how you look together. I know you want her to make you look good, and trust me…she does—you were garbage before her—But you haven't even taken the time to get to know her in all these years. Like, _really_ know her. The little dances she does while she's eating? Her fear of large ships? Her favorite number? Just promise me you'll at least try. She's precious Puck. So just… be good, Okay? Be good to her."

With that, she was gone. And Abuela knew it was Brittany she'd overheard that morning, saying the most beautiful things to her sleeping granddaughter.

* * *

The Pierces stared awkwardly back at Santana.

"That's…awful soon, isn't it, Dear?" Mrs. Pierce said.

"Um…well, yeah…but Puck just wants to get it over with."

"Great way to approach a marriage." Sara interjected.

"Well…not like that… he just…the church on 3rd only has two openings in the next 5 years and someone just cancelled for next weekend…so rather than wait 2 years…"

"I don't see a damn thing wrong with waiting."

"Ralph!" Mrs. Pierce gasped at her husband's language.

"I'm sorry Marla. But this is…I mean…Santana are you sure about this? I know we've been a bit...cold as of late…But we will always care about you and—"

"Haven't you been seeing someone _else_?" Sara interjected again.

"Uh no," Santana barely let the girl finish her sentence. "No. I'm uh, not that girl anymore…and um…my parents have never been happier. I really just came to see if you guys could make it. Take it as a peace offering…for all of the…for everything I put Britt through."

"_This_ is your peace offering? _THIS_ is supposed to make her feel better?" Sara shot her arms into the air in disbelief.

"Well honey, what more could she want than to be such a big part of her best friend's wedding?" Marla chirped.

"Mom, she's supposed to be a bigger part of the wedding, Britt should be—"

"Don't be difficult Sara. Santana, we'll be there. Don't you worry about a thing. We'll help you with anything you need too, okay?"

Their front door slammed and suddenly Brittany stood at the entrance to the living room. She had only meant to peek in on her way to her room, but stumbling upon this scene made her take a few steps back. She tilted her head slightly, so that her body continued to face the direction in which she'd been walking, but her face remained fixed on theirs.

"What are you doing?" She whispered to no one in particular.

"Britt! I…" Santana felt caught. "I was just inviting your family to the wedding…seeing as you're the maid of—"

"I'm not. I'm not the maid of honor. I'm not going." Brittany continued to her original destination.

"Honey?" Marla cried after her.

"I got this Mrs. Pierce. Excuse me," Santana said politely, following Brittany.

The girl was in the computer room/her dad's office, attempting to confuse Santana, whom she assumed would go straight for her bedroom. It worked.

Minutes later, the brunette closed the door behind her, finding the dancer seated on a swivel chair, facing a blank monitor.

"Britt _please_." Santana pleaded. It was odd to hear her go to a desperate whine so quickly. She had to have known how erroneously she was handling the situation.

"It's Holly Holiday all over again." The blond said without turning around.

"I'm scared, Britt." Santana sat defeated on the leather couch behind her best friend.

"Still? After all this, Santana? After we said we love each other? After we both apologized?" She swiveled to face the smaller girl with glassy eyes…an expression, she was surprised to find they shared at the moment.

Santana nodded as the tears tumbled down her cheeks.

"I can't tell my parents I'm…my Abuela? What will they all think?"

"Who cares? I'll tell mine right now! I don't give a shit. I love you Santana Lopez. I want to spend every moment of the rest of my life with you. My best friend. The only love in my heart."

"Brittany, it's not that simple…being…coming out?"

"MOM! DAD! SARA!"

"Brittany…what're you doing? Don't! I'm serious! Do _not_ do this!"

The three remaining Pierces rushed into the room, looking from blue eyes to brown then back again.

"What's going on?" Sara panted.

"Guys. I'm gay for Santana. I've been in love with her since we were five… I can't live without her. And… if I have to watch her give her heart away to someone like Noah Puckerman, I might turn into Prince Adam…well not the Prince version…the beast version."

Brittany looked around to find furrowed brows. "From Beauty and the Beast? That'll be me. Forlorn and tortured…I can't live like that."

"Told you." Sara turned to her parents.

"Sara!" Brittany squealed. Her sister shrugged.

"This isn't about just about the groom being Noah though, is it Britt?" Ralph smiled at his daughter.

She grinned sadly back at her dad, then swept her eyes to Santana. "No. You see, I'm Santanasexual. Like, that's the only human being on the face of this planet that I find myself attracted to…like _magnet_ attracted to…the one person I see myself rocking on a rocking chair with when we age gracefully. If this girl ends up with anyone but me, the world will start spinning in the wrong direction…and it'll be all Freaky Friday, so _I'll_ start going all West Lima on everyone…I can't go really go all Lima Heights because well, that's not where I grew up….neither did San…but Lima Heights adjacent has no street cred, so…."

Brittany's parents looked to Santana with all the hope in the world in their eyes. They'd sort of assumed certain things and this confirmation was all they needed. The panicked girl on the couch could both destroy and repair their Babygirl; and they prayed that right now, with Brittany's heart exposed and beating just for her, she would do the latter.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey! Thank you for reading and don't forget to review! :)**

Santana had always confused this feeling with wanting to be left alone; the one she sat in at this very moment. She thought it meant she should run; escape, crawl out of her skin into another. But that's not at all what it was. And it finally registered. Having all these Pierce eyes on her, she realized that it wasn't that she wanted to be alone; it was that she was lonely.

She had been all by herself in her confusion…and of course…she'd made it that way. _She'd_ pushed away all those who wanted to help; _she'd_ denied it all this time. Now she was faced with three people who knew and it felt so good to stop running. They knew _everything…_seemingly better than she. Actually they didn't just know, they'd known…like for a while. She stared back at six matching sapphire orbs.

It had been more than a few minutes of silence, and Santana had no idea what her expression was, but it was one that made Brittany suddenly rush to her side.

"Baby?" She whispered, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist as she sat.

Santana smiled and blushed at the prospect of PDA in front of Brittany's family. The dancer noticed and pulled away, taking one of the smaller girl's hands in both of hers.

"You ok?" She continued.

"Um…" Santana looked to Mr. and Mrs. Pierce desperately. There was a splattering of fright in her smile of relief. "Can you guys just…help? Can you come with me?"

"Where are we going?" Brittany said.

"Yes." Said Mr. Pierce, catching her drift. He led the rest of the Pierce's (minus Brittany) back to the living room and shut the door behind them, convinced his baby was in good hands.

"Where are we going?" Brittany repeated, searching Santana's eyes.

"You guys are going to act as my brigade when I…come…come out to my parents." Santana struggled through the sentence, but gave a half smile at the admission.

"You're gay for me too?" Brittany clapped and hopped in her seat.

"Yes," The brunette bowed her head, looking up from under her lashes bashfully. The dancer tilted her head as she smiled at the rarely shy Santana Lopez. The brunette slowly laced her fingers through Brittany's and finally locked eyes with her.

"Sorry again, "

"I love you, Santana."

"I love you too…so much it scares me. Please don't give up on me…'cause I can guarantee I'll continue to make mistakes…not on purpose…it's just I've never really been this honest…about anything…so …."

"I'm not going to give up on you."

Santana sighed.

They caressed each other's hands for a while, relishing the feeling of freedom; prolonging their moment. When the time came for them to leave the room, Brittany held on for a bit

"There's something about you, Santana Lopez…it's like I never wanna let go."

"You don't have to. I'm going to leave, but I'll always be right back." Sanatna stood, one of her hands still interlaced with Brittany's.

"So…are you going to be my girlfriend?"

Santana nodded, a surprise tear making it's way down the bridge of her nose.

"Hey," Brittany stood with her and furrowed her brow. "Don't cry."

"I've just…God. I've been awful to you. You're like, waiting around for me. …we've pretty much been in love forever. And even though you've been my girlfriend in every sense …you just want to hear me say it. With everything you've given me…I couldn't even give you that little bit, you know?"

"Oh honey," Brittany cupped the girl's now tear-soaked cheeks. "You show me love in different ways…that means so much more to me. You call me a genius when everyone thinks I'm special ed…and you _mean _it…You leave me notes that make me giggle all the way into my dreams. You know every single thing about me and you don't forget…that's how I know…you _pay attention_. You could care less about most people…I know because…well, I've seen you make it clear…but you go out of your way to care about me."

"If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to leave me?"

"What's the secret?"

"…You're too good for me Brittany S. Pierce."

"Yes…"

"Britt!" Santana dropped her jaw in mock shock.

Brittany smiled, "Yes, I promise not to leave you if you tell me that, I mean."

She then leaned in for a peck. It was slow and tender, and she let her fingers play over her girlfriend's face gently as she pulled away. Then Santana went in for one, pressing their bodies together in a tight embrace and slowly deepening the kiss. Tears were licked off of lips, a pair of hands rest on the small of a back, another on a collarbone. They lingered, staring at each other as they parted only a hair's breath after the kiss.

"I want to live right here. In this. I don't want to go see my parents…or …" Santana whispered.

"We'll fix this whole thing tomorrow."

Brittany kissed her nose and let her go.

But The Lopezes were out by the time Brittany and her sister showed up the next day.

"They'll be back …some kind of emergency …all hands on dick." Puck said beaming.

"Why are you smiling?...Creep" Sara said walking passed him as she entered the house.

"Puck, if I have to tell you again that it's all hands on DECK, I swear to God I'm going to snap your fat neck." Santana hissed as she entered to see who had arrived.

Brittany closed the front door behind her and locked eyes with the raven-haired beauty. They couldn't help but smile at each other.

"I um, thought you guys were Rachel…where're your parents?" The smaller girl said through her grin.

"They'll be by later," Brittany walked towards her dreamily.

"—Not anymore, I just texted Dad and told him to abort the mission…Rachel's on her way? Oh Jesus." Sara rolled her eyes turning to leave.

Brittany snapped out of her trance just as she was about to reach for Santana's hand.

"Sara you're my ride! You can't—"

A thunderous knock at the door made all three of them jump.

Puck opened and was greeted by the rest of the Glee club, Rachel, of course, at the helm.

"Oh thank God you're all here!" She said, leading the entire crowd into the living room as Finn slammed and locked the door behind them.

" Are you gonna kill us?" Brittany said, following her friends.

"Kinda," Mercedes said.

"No!" Rachel snapped her head at her.

They all made themselves comfortable in the Lopez living room…well not too comfortable…the couches were white. They sat on couches and on floors in a strange oval, so that they could all face each other.

"It's been a while since we've had one of our talks, Santana." Rachel started, crossing her legs.

Santana darted her eyes at the accusation.

"What? We don't talk!"

"This is what I've been talking about people! She's in denial about so many things…I'm just going to come out and say it. Brittany and Santana are in love. Puck, deal with it and kindly step out of the picture." Rachel raised her hands in exasperation.

"Not the way we discussed it would go…but still effective, I guess." Artie muttered under his breath.

"Are you guys kidding me?" Puck stood.

"For the record I am. I am kidding you because I think this is ridiculous." Quinn said.

"Thank you." He responded, taking his seat again.

"No. Like…you're ridiculous…she's _never_ wanted you…and you proceed to propose?"

"Jeeze Quinn." Tina said.

"He needs to hear it." She shrugged.

Puck stood up slowly and nodded. He walked towards the girl, but kneeled instead by the boy in the wheelchair next to hers. Looking at her, he whispered into Artie's ear, then moved back to his seat. Artie simply looked to her and lifted his glasses to wipe away tear.

Quinn shot up on to two feet and held out an open palm. As if on cue, the entire room gasped.

"I'm sorry!" She cried and fell to her knees before Artie. He hadn't blinked since she stood.

"What the hell Quinn?" He breathed.

"I said I was sorry," She whispered reaching for hands that he quickly retracted.

"Your legs!"

Quinn looked back to Puck, who smirked on the other side of their make-shift circle.

"I thought…" She started, "Didn't he just…?"

"He said you were pregnant…and that it was mine…"

Brittany immediately leaned into Santana, "How did they—?"

"Apparently he's very talented," The brunette interrupted, not looking away from the action.

"Could've fooled me," Brittany shrugged.

Santana's brows shot up and she smirked.

"You piece of shit." Quinn growled to Puck through tears, then turned back to Artie. "I …Artie…well, I guess, all of you guys…I've been able to walk for a while…and this isn't a recurring food baby," she said clutching her stomach "…it's a real one."

"Again?" Mercedes said.

"Um. Yes. And…it's Puck's."

"AGAIN?" Mercedes repeated.

Artie reversed out of the room and down a hallway.

Quinn followed him sobbing.

"And you wonder why I don't want to marry you." Santana said to Puck as Brittany grabbed for her hand.

"You used to love that shit." Puck said disgusted.

"I may be a huge bitch, but I don't straight up ruin the lives of the people within my circle. And honestly, I'm not even about that anymore." She lifted the hands she and Brittany held.

"What-the fuck-ever. You can all protest all you want; but the Lopezes are on _my_ side. Everyone knows Santana can stand up to everyone except her own family. And Brittany's too—"

"Too what?" Sara stood.

"Too…"

"Say it. I _fucking_ dare you."

All at once, Sara and Puck stood nose to nose in the center of the room.

" Stu-pid." He hissed into her face. "Too Stu—"

Puck was expecting a mild sting on his cheek at the very most, but the blow that came to the back of his head knocked him face first into the foot rest of Quinn's vacant wheelchair. He turned and looked up to find Brittany standing over him with clenched fists.

"Hot." Santana commented from her seat.

Rachel joined Brittany and her voice rang in his ears as he struggled to focus.

"I suggest you call off this wedding." She said folding her arms.

"And if you call her a name again, you'll be wishing I'd left you with the capacity to operate that wheelchair that seems to have just broken your face." Santana chimed in.

Sara stomped on his nuts for good measure. As he writhed in pain, Artie and Quinn re-entered wordlessly and re-joined the group.

"This has gotten way out of hand!" Brittany shouted.

The many conversations lulled and Santana took over.

"Alright Dweebs. Not that it's _any_ of your business, but Britt and I already came out to her parents. They're going to help me come out to mine...that way I'm much less likely to…you know…chicken out."

"Kinda like with this wedding thing." Brittany chirped.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm terrified of my Abuela…and I have no idea how I'm going to deprive them of a wedding _and_ tell them I'm into girls—I'm gay—but I guess it can't be any worse than saying it for the first time….like I just did."

"San, I don't want to scare you. But coming out to us is way different from coming out to your parents."

"Excuse me?"

With all the commotion, no one had heard the door unlock and close, or footsteps approach. Keys jingled from within a tense fist. A look of concern, disapproving the presence of so many young people was exchanged.

Puck, still crouched in the fetal position and clutching his crotchal region, suddenly found the strength to smile through his pain.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Couldn't wait to put this one up! Let me know what you think :)**

"Abuela, que haces aqui?"

"Son _ellos_ que deben explicarme a _mi _que hacen aqui!"

_Oh shit. She was mad…had she heard? Oh GOD! HAD SHE HEARD?_ Santana didn't really have time to freak out. She had to explain why her fiancé was bleeding in the middle of the room and no one seemed to care…maybe she should let go of Brittany's hand first, though. She followed her Abuela's gaze to the clasp she and her girlfriend still held.  
But didn't let go.

So Abuela looked to her granddaughter's eyes, then back at the handhold, and when nothing changed; she asked the room what the meaning of all this was.

"Who're you?" said Finn.

"It's her grandma, dumbass." Responded Quinn.

"Abuela Lopez, Soy Rachel Berry y sus pantalones son maravillosos."

"Berry she speaks perfect English…and you just said that her pants were marvelous."

"Oh, I know. I meant it too."

"I asked a question!" Abuela bellowed over the chaos.

Quinn stopped weeping to Artie. Artie stopped scowling.

Puck stopped groaning random pleas for medical attention. Everyone continued ignoring him.

Mercedes and Tina stopped enjoying the drama.

And Rachel and Finn stopped arguing over whether or not they should leave.

"I'm going to say it again, " Abuela said, "What is the meaning of all this? What is Noah doing on the floor…Santana, Brittany, help him. Is this what you do when your parents are away now? Throw parties?"

"Seriously, Abuela? Does this look like a party?"

"It looks like a bunch of _locura_!"

"_They're_ crazy. Not me. I didn't even know they were all coming, I promise."

"Well…what are you all doing here?" Abuela turned to the rest of the vaguely familiar faces lining the living room.

"Initially I was to come alone," Started Rachel.

Santana's heart dropped. _Anyone. Please Anyone speak except Rachel fucking Berry_.

"But," continued the girl. "I felt the situation required an intervention."

"And what, might I ask, is the situation?" Abuela took a corner seat on a couch and folded her hands on her lap.

The room fell silent. Brittany wanted so badly to say it, but Santana was squeezing her hand so hard she thought her knuckles would be ground down to nothing. Everyone else except for Rachel knew better…they were stunned silent.

"Ok. I guess I'll say it." She stood. "Santana's selling bath salts."

"WHAT? No I'm not!" Santana whooped and stood, letting go of Brittany.

"I don't understand the problem…Sephora's a perfectly respectable establishment." Abuela said looking around confused.

"Bath salts are drugs, Abuela Lopez." Rachel clarified.

"SANTANA!"

"I don't sell drugs Abuela! I'm just gay! I'm just—oh shit."

Abuela froze.

"Cold feet." Puck grumbled.

"Shut up Puck. It's not cold feet… sorry if I led you on, Abuela; but I never planned on going through with this wedding. I just got so wrapped up in all of your attention and admiration, which admittedly, _you've_ never deprived me of; but Mami and Papi…well they set the bar pretty high, and this seems to be the first time I've surpassed it. Like, everything else was a given…being an A student, Head Cheerleader, disgustingly popular… but this? Marriage? _This_ finally impressed them. Puck will never admit it, but he's always known that I'm gay …I like girls…mostly just _this_ girl." She smiled to a still seated Brittany by her side, who responded with a delighted grin, and all of a sudden 'Good Vibrations' started playing in Santana's head. _It really should her theme song_, she thought; nearly getting lost in the music of that pretty smile. "And since I happen to be in love with her her. Um, I'm not marrying …that…" Santana pointed to Puck with her toe.

Abuela's gaze dropped to the ground and stayed there for 15 very long minutes.

"I was thinking we could—" Started Tina.

"Everybody needs to leave this house now." Growled Abuela.

"No, Yeah…that's what I was just about to suggest." Continued Tina.

Santana gestured to her friends with her eyes and they filed out one by one. She followed them out to the yard and watched, sitting on Quinn's forgotten wheelchair, as they piled into their cars; Brittany pulling away last, and most reluctantly.

The brunette turned and caught the door closing as she heard a soft voice say,

"You too."

Sadly, she was relieved. She really didn't want to be alone with her grandmother right now. It would surely be awkward and angry and sad; she was happy to avoid the whole ordeal. As she wheeled herself aimlessly down the block, though, she couldn't stop herself form wondering what the older woman must be thinking. It was impossible to guess based on the last two words she'd uttered. _Was she overwhelmed? It almost sounded like she was exhausted…please don't let her hate me…or be sad, don't let her be sad. _ She'd experienced many a fight with her parents, this one would be different, but at least she could prepare herself…but Abuela? She'd never even so much as raised her voice to the girl—she never had to. What would that be like? Falling from her good graces? She shivered in her chair at the thought. They were each other's favorites…how was she supposed to—

She looked around and realized she had wheeled herself all the way to…some field. Somewhere.

She checked herself for her phone. Of course she didn't have it. Or her keys. Or anything that might help her not to die out here alone.

The chair was actually quite comfortable and she was glad she at least didn't have to walk. As the sun set, the sprinklers went off and she wished she had brought a jacket. Well, had she known she was going to be locked out of her own house; she would have brought a million more things to make herself comfortable. No, no…she probably would have taken a preemptive strike and just hid… you can't kick me out if you can't find me. She chuckled and found herself wheeling away again. This time she ended up on Rachel's block. _Gross._ She wasn't sure why she didn't just go to the one house she really wanted to go to…

"They're all inside." A voice came from behind her as she faced the street, her back to the Berry residence.

"Who's all inside?"

"Every parent in the world."

"What? Why!" Santana turned in her chair. Few people had this perspective, looking up to Rachel Berry.

"Well…your parents got a phone call from your Abuela. She's locked herself in your house."

"Do they know?" Santana was basically panting as the possiblity hit her.

"No. Not from what I can gather. And the Pierce's haven't said a word…"

"Have you?"

"Santana no!"

Santana shrugged. "I know how you are."

"Obviously not. Why are you in a wheelchair?"

"It's fun and Quinn left it at my house…hey, where's Puckerman?" She said with a twinge of concern; his face looked pretty mangled last she saw and she could only imagine how his nutsack must feel.

"Finn drove him to the infirmary, he refused to go to an actual hospital and would rather have his 'breadbasket' tended to by the interns who'd 'handled' it many times before."

"That boy is the definition of class."

"Wanna come inside?"

"Pretty sure that's the last thing I want to do."

"It's going to get cold Santana…are you just gonna sleep out here?"

"Bring me a blanket."

Rachel frowned, but did as she was told. She even wheeled the girl to the back yard and lit the fire pit. They talked for a bit out there, Rachel with her back to the house and Santana facing her; stealing glances at the large window where they could clearly see all the parents seated around the dining room table. Most of their backs were to the glass, and they were too busy passing the landline phone around—"Really Berry?"—to notice the doe eyes glued to the scene. The pit was slightly sunken in, so Santana had to look up, and the adults would have to turn and stand to see anything more than the tops of their heads.

"Okay I'm cold, and you're really creeping me out by looking past me every five seconds. Just come up and watch from inside. I can sneak you in."

"Absolutely not. I'm fine. It's not that cold, I've got my blanket and this wonderful fire—"

"That'll eventually burn out."

"—I'm fine."

"You're going to sleep in my back yard?" Rachel stood, crossing her arms.

"Maybe." Santana crossed her arms as well. "Problem?"

"So freaking stubborn." Rachel shook her head and walked away.

Santana didn't notice how dark the night had become until the girl left. Outside the glow of the fire was a thick midnight…though it was only about 10.

She was dozing off when a voice came from within the obscurity.

"There you are."

The flame flickered; half it's original size. It lit up a pair of sun kissed calves.

"Here I am." Santana looked like an old man watching the stock market. She faced the house intently, trying to stay awake and her legs had a blanket draped over them; her elbows lay on the armrests of the wheelchair.

"I thought you were locked in the house with your Abuela…everybody thinks so. They've been calling you nonstop."

"She locked me out."

Santana looked up to where she thought a face might be, "Without keys…or a phone…or a jacket…or food."

"You hungry?" Brittany stepped further into the light of the fire. She became illuminated all the way up to her thighs. Her shorts were so short she looked naked, except for her sneakers.

"Starving…" Santana gulped "…are those your pajamas?"

"Yeah…I was getting ready for bed, but I figured I'd drop my parents off here and use it as an excuse to go rescue you. I saw Rachel on my way out and she said I should come out here before I start my mission."

"Glad you did." Santana patted her lap, beckoning the blonde to take a seat.

Instead of sitting back to chest, Brittany straddled her girlfriend; her knees bent and pressed into the space between Santana's thighs and the chair, shins running parallel to Santana's thighs, feet hanging off the edge of the seat.

Santana was not expecting this.

"I—I'm not parked. I mean, the brakes aren't on." The smaller girl said trying to reach for the lever on the chair.

Brittany sighed and played with the wisps of hair that had fallen across Santana's face.

"It's been a long day huh?"

The brunette nodded; taking in whatever skin the flame happened to light up. There was a loose white spaghetti strap tank top, and an eyeful of cleavage. She could tell the girl was cold. She reached between them, over her legs and between Brittany's, to pull the blanket out. The blonde smirked at the proximity of her fingers. Santana wrapped the blanket over both of their shoulders, leaving only their heads out.

"Yeah, " She finally sighed leaning her head back on the edge of the back rest. "It has been."

"I'm so proud of you, San. I can't believe how brave you were with your Abuela." Brittany fidgeted a bit on her lap.

"I said it by mistake, Britt. It sucked."

"But you didn't take it back."

Suddenly, the dancer was pressed up against her chest. Hugging her. "Or lie. Or let go of me."

"I guess." Santana returned the embrace under the blanket.

But all she felt was skin.

"Holy shit, Britt." She stammered.

"What?" The girl kissed her neck.

"When did you get naked?" Santana slid her hands down her back slowly to confirm that there wasn't a stitch of cloth between them…well except for her own clothes.

"Just now. While we were talking…I wasn't wearing much anyway…you know I don't wear underwear to bed."

"_Oh God_."

"Now you" Brittany husked, her hands already on Santana's zipper.

"I don't know," She said, shimmying out of her jeans.

"I think you do,"

"But our parents…all the parents…"

Brittany kissed under Santana's chin as she lifted the shirt off of her. The smaller girl held the blonde's head close to her chest as she nipped at the places her disappearing bra slowly exposed.

Brittany finally caught her lips. Wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed so hungrily that they almost tipped the chair back. Santana's hands were busy under the blanket, cupping the dancer's ass and pulling her as close as possible.

"Wait." Santana pulled away for a second.

"What?" The other girl panted.

"I really will destroy anyone who calls you names."

Brittany looked under the blanket, licked from the valley of Santana's cleavage up her throat and to the tip of her chin, sending a strong shiver through the smaller girl.

"I know." She said, coming up to meet the brunette's eyes.

Santana suddenly felt the girl inching down her body and disappearing under the blanket; doing the kiss, lick, nip tactic that drove her crazy.

"Mmm Britt, I could hardly see you when you were up here; now you're gone."

"I knew I left these on you for a reason." Said Brittany's muffled voice. The brunette felt her legs being spread and delicate kisses placed on the lace panties between her thighs. She gasped.

"They're you're favorite." She whimpered.

"Honestly…"

–Santana jumped at an unexpected lick—

"…They're all my favorite. But yeah, these are definitely top 3 in the see-through category."

All Santana could do was blindly caress the blonde head in her lap and moan. Her hips bucked involuntarily, and she tried to control herself. To wait, to hold back –her underwear was still on—but Brittany's hands had wandered to her nipples and she wasn't making it easy. She could no longer deny herself and pulled the head further into her lap as it seemed to vacuum the fabric there. Suddenly Santana was lost in a sea of tingling nerve-endings. Her body froze and her eyes rolled back and squeezed closed.

She bit her lip in attempt to stifle a moan, but it escaped nonetheless; deep and breathy. She ran a hand through her hair and let the blanket fall.

Brittany looked up to exposed breasts and nearly got to work all over again.

Santana was absolutely breath taking. Completely nude in an open backyard, but too blissful to give a shit. The blonde slid up the other girl's body and it became obvious how hot it was down there.. Her skin glistened by the fire, she dripped. Santana tucked her hair behind her ears and leaned in to suck on her bottom lip.

"Thank you babe."

The dancer was on her tip toes, leaning her forearms on the arm rests and holding herself up in a sort of push up position. Brittany looked at her through hooded eyes and licked her lips slowly,

"It really is my pleasure."

Santana shivered and held the girls face to lick her lips, which started a slow but straight line of licks headed under the blanket. When she got to her navel, she noticed how labored the girl's breathing was and smirked. Brittany tried to look under her and follow Santana's path with her eyes, but all these unexpected shudders kept interrupting. During one of these spasms she lifted off of her toes and kneeled into the chair, trapping Santana's head between her center and the rubber-edged seat. The brunette simply leaned the back of her head on the chair and sat cross legged on the blanketed grass under her, continuing to taste happily; massaging her fingers over the legs by her ears.

It was actually quite comfortable. And exactly where she wanted to be.

Rachel tried to check up on Santana inconspicuously. She circled the chattering table of parents, and peered down to the fire pit. The dimming fire rendered Santana barely visible, but she seemed to be in a ball and sliding off the chair. _Ugh_, _that girl_. Rachel huffed, but smiled as she turned to the parents; going through he front door to round the house.

By this time, Brittany was pushing her face into the back of the chair and her torso and hips were rolling of their own accord. Her arms hugged the backrest as she squeaked over and over through a blinding release. When she began to take her first deep breaths, she heard it. Santana was just starting to shift, but that wasn't the sound.

"Wait," The blonde snapped her head about. Then came another snapping twig. The fire's crackling was just above a whisper, so she knew it had to be someone—

"Hey, San?" Came a voice from a few feet away. Brittany turned quickly, sitting on the chair normally and covering both herself and Santana with the blanket, who also turned around so that she faced the chair, and her nose was conveniently between the dancer's legs. The cloth tented the entire chair so Santana could put the majority of her body under the seat and the slight bump her head made was invisible in the dark.

"Uh, she's gone Rachel. I found the empty chair and the blanket though." Brittany said rather loudly.

"Oh!" Rachel said shocked.

_I bet she's clutching her pearls_ Santana thought, rolling her eyes.

"Where are you?" Brittany said, beginning to reach out from under the blanket, but then remembered herself.

"I'm trying to walk to the fire, all I see is your slightly frightening silhouette…no offense."

Brittany laughed and her body relaxed and slouched further down the chair. The brunette under the covers smiled as the legs before her opened. She pulled Brittany by her calves so that she slipped even further. She inhaled and ghosted her lips over a still moist bundle of nerves.

Brittany's gasp was high pitched.

"What? What? A raccoon? I'm gathering kindling, just hold on." Rachel panicked.

"Kay?" The dancer breathed it out like a question because it was actually a moan.

Santana kissed so hard that it turned into a suck. Rachel's back was turned, and even though Brittany meant to tell Santana to stop, she knew her whisper would be heard by both brunettes. She meant to push the head between her legs away, but instead her arms flung up in ecstasy, sending the blanket flying. Santana's eyes were closed and her underwear had been pulled down to her knees the moment she realized she had to touch herself _right now._

She felt the breeze of the blanket being lifted, the cold of the night air, and saw a flash of orange through closed lids as Rachel's firewood set the flame ablaze; lighting up the scene. None of it registered.

Rachel Berry let out a _blood curdling_ "OH MY **GOD**!"

Brittany snapped out of it and pulled herself away from two very satisfying lips. As the fire flickered she searched for the blanket and a dazed Santana rose to her feet, not bothering to pull up her underwear. Brittany found the cloth and brought it around them like a cape, securing the front with her hands.

"Sorry," Brittany panted, smiling anxiously.

"Ew! Ew! Ew! You _guys_!"

Santana still swayed dreamily, but her sappy smile began to drift when her eyes adjusted.

There, in the dark were the whites of at least 8 other eyes. Both she and Brittany's heads snapped to the big glass window.

There was no one there.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

Santana was pretty sure none of the eyes in the dark behind Rachel would have noticed her current state of undress, had the parrot not squawked her every observation.

"Santana! Are those your panties? By your ankles? ARE THOSE THEM? And whose clothes are by your feet? Are those yours or Britt's! Oh, now you're concerned with covering up? NOW? IT'S TOO LATE! I'll have to bleach the lawn, then my corneas and ugh, that poor chair,"

"RACHEL! Jesus! Just shut up!" Santana tugged on the blanket a bit to let Brittany know she was bending down to pull up her underwear and grab the items of clothing strewn by her feet.

"I honestly think you're in no position to—"

"Just turn around Rachel. Turn around and shut your mouth." Santana muttered, as she and Brittany got dressed under the blanket.

Rachel's eyes got wide, suddenly realizing why both of her friends had suddenly

seemed paralyzed minutes ago, just before scrambling to get dressed. Behind her she found an army of parents; hers, Brittany's, Santana's, Artie's, Tina's, and Puck's.

Practically in unison, they inched further into the light, all except for The Lopezes. They lingered in the dark.

"What in God's name—" Started Tina's dad

"Did you guys follow me out?" Rachel attempted to diffuse the situation.

"We heard you scream so we rushed out…we weren't aware there'd be…um…nudity involved."

"Intercourse. Full on intercourse." Said Puck's mom, shaking her head.

"What were you girls thinking? Here? In front of a glass window? Did you _want_ to get caught?" Artie's dad chimed in.

"No." "Yes"

"Brittany!" Brittany's mom yelped at her daughter's affirmative. Her dad snickered.

"So this is what's got your Abuela all riled up," Mrs. Lopez finally growled from within the dark. "She always had an instinct."

"No. I mean yes, but we actually told her. We wanted you all to know…just not like this." Brittany said with a smile. Now both fully dressed, she folded the blanket neatly atop the wheelchair. They stood awkwardly across the fire from the league of parents.

Rachel, noticing that she looked like the leader of the wrong group standing a few steps ahead of the parents, debated whether she should join her friends on the other side.

"Know what?" Mrs. Lopez screeched, now marching towards the two girls menacingly. She stood nose to nose with Brittany.

"Well, that we're in love." The blonde whispered.

"Oh _my_ God!" Mrs. Lopez threw her hands up in the air and started to walk back to the other side, but stopped midway and just glared at the two girls in angry disbelief.

The Pierce's saw the possibility of a physical altercation for an instant as Mrs. Lopez flailed, but were honestly too scared to go up against Mama Lopez. They always had been. They'd known her since high school, and if anyone thought Santana was a badass…well, she was a kitten compared to a young Mrs. Lopez, so they defended their daughter from afar.

"Let's not fly off the handle here…I mean we all kind of had an idea, didn't we?"

All the other parents nodded amongst themselves. All, but two.

This seemed set off another spark.

"I didn't! I didn't know! Did you, Miguel?" Mrs. Lopez whirled to face Mr. Lopez, who shook his head as he looked to the ground.

"No!" she continued, "We didn't know!"

Santana, who'd been silent for longer than anyone thought humanly possible (for a Lopez) reached for Brittany's hand timidly. Brittany didn't notice, enthralled by the scene before her. So Santana lightly slapped her palm against the other girl's knuckles to get her attention. Brittany flinched at the touch, then looked down and smiled before holding out her hand. The brunette returned the smile weakly. This time they both flinched at the contact of the handhold.

"Of course you didn't know." Santana said, taking a half step forward, still holding Brittany's hand. "You didn't want to. But it's been quite obvious. I'm in love with Brittany. And it doesn't matter how often you were away or how much I tried to hide it…everyone saw."

Brittany nodded in support.

"Not me! Excuse me for being thrown off by your boyfriends and impending marriage!"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice how hollow those relationships were…and how indifferent I've been to this entire wedding? How Brittany's always right next to me at the table—not Puck? It's because I don't want him there and he doesn't want to be there."

"He doesn't even know her allergies." Brittany added.

"Now wait a minute, our son loves you very much Santana. Let's not put this on him."

"There's no 'putting' anything on anyone. The fact is, this whole wedding was a competition for Puck, and an easy way for me to avoid my feelings; so we were both playing a game. But I'm done. Ok? I'm done. I've hurt Brittany for too long and I really just want to be with her now. Like really be with her. Not worry about what anyone else thinks…so if you could just grant me some kind of grace period where we don't fight about this—"

"Santana, you are not gay!" Screamed her mother.

"Oh my God mom! Yes I am!"

"NO! NO! Look what you're doing to this family! Look what you've done to your Abuela! The wedding is on and you can just forget about this nonsense!" Mrs. Lopez turned around to walk back into the house.

"What?" Santana looked to Brittany, defeated. They blonde held her as she cried; and the rest of the parents began to approach her with words of encouragement.

Mrs. Lopez caught a glimpse and frowned sadly just before re-entering the house.

It was something like a sit-in. It was nearly morning and no one had left the Berry residence; The Lopezes because they couldn't; all other parents as a silent vow of alliance to Santana and Brittany. The rest of the glee club had slowly trickled in having received hysterical texts or phone calls. People were scattered in two groups between the living room and the dining room. The groups intermingled, many people floating between to comfort Santana, then going back to calm her mother. But at one point, everyone was on Santana's side, and no one noticed her mother approach.

"Why are you all comforting her? I don't understand."

Silence. Loud, heavy silence settled upon the house for more than a few minutes.

"Yes you do." Puck spoke. He'd been on the outskirts of each group, succeeding at being ignored until now. "We all do...it's not such a big deal, really. So she's gay, so what? At least she found someone she loves, who loves her back. I wanted to be that person, but I'm just not. I'm not. What I don't understand is why you're not just happy she had the guts to come out to you. Or at least proud." He shrugged. "You're not the most approachable parents, and I'm sure it would have been easy to just keep lying. I know I would've. I mean, I was mad too…but Santana's shown me what it means to be a dad…not that she _is_ a dad…but she's honest and I to be that way with my kids. I want to be the kind of dad my girls can come out to. You know, if they happen to be—"

"Wait a second, Kids? As in plural?' Mrs. Puckerman stood.

"Oh yeah, Quinn's preggo again. " Puck said, nonchalantly pointing to a mortified Quinn.

Santana shook her head and chuckled, it was barely audible when she said , "Puck and his big ass mouth."

"Oh crap!" Puck suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth.

"Yeah, stupid. Ugh…so much for waiting until I show…yes. Mom, dad, Mrs. Puckerman, I am, once again, pregnant with Puck's child. But this time we're keeping it. We'll keep going to school, taking night classes, getting jobs…and well, as you can see, Puck's grown up a lot and so have I…so…we're pretty confident we can handle it this time around."

"It doesn't mean we're together." Puck said, looking at Artie. "We're just going to be responsible together…in a friendly way."

Artie blushed.

"Well, no wonder Santana thinks she's gay….you weren't paying her any attention." Mrs. Lopez muttered.

There came a house-wide groan in response.

"Really, Ma?" Santana turned to her mother, eyes still red.

This face was a parent's worst nightmare. Disappointment. Loss of respect. It was all there.

Puckerman shrugged, "I tried."

"You tr—you what? You mean to tell me you're all on their side? You all think this is ok?"

She looked to the entire room to find them nodding, including Mr. Lopez.

"Ok." Mrs. Lopez nodded angrily, beginning to cry. "Try telling the news to my family, huh? No wedding _and_ my daughter's a lesbian? Try that. Listen, I'm not a monster! I want my baby to be happy, but I can guarantee you this is _not _the way! The family will torment her, the world will tear her apart…then what? Hmm? Will you all be nodding your heads then? Will you even be around? No! That's on me! And there's nothing I can do to protect her…" The woman fell to her knees.

"You tell them to answer to me." A voice came from the room. The front door had been left unlocked since people had gotten tired of answering it every five seconds. No one had seen Abuela enter.

"Not you too." Mrs. Lopez looked up at her mother with tear stained cheeks.

"It's not about you. It's about her" She pointed to Santana "And her" She smiled at Brittany.

Santana's heart fluttered.

"And don't you guys have your own set of keys?" Mercedes finally blurted her burning question.

Every head snapped in her direction, some even rolled their eyes. She shrugged.

"No, we left ours to Abuela and the copy to …The Pierces…as usual." Mr. Lopez said.

"You locked me out Abuela," Santana whispered.

"I know," Abuela crouched by Santana and took her hand. "I know. But not because I was mad. I just needed to meditate…and pray on it. I'm an old woman, you know. I'm not used to all these new kinds of love. But that's all it is…love, right? Love. And honestly, I much prefer your other half know your little hungry dance, your fears, and…your favorite…everything. The way Brittany does. The girl wouldn't shut up about you at lunch." Abuela chuckled playfully.

Santana beamed at her girlfriend, then her Abuela.

Brittany took Abuela's hand, bringing her to Mrs. Lopez, standing between them and holding her hand as well.

"Mama Lo. Is it really that much of a reach? I mean, you already love me. You already leave your keys to my family. We're already one, aren't we?…I promise it's not as terrifying as you think it is…Even Santana had a hard time, but we can take on the rest of the world together, right? All of us. And one by one they'll get it. Plus, you know…you kinda have to listen to your mom."

All but Mrs. Lopez chuckled. She was still on her knees, head down and her hand limply in Brittany's. The anxious laughter died down, and everyone waited. Slowly the woman began to look up.

**A/N: **

**That's all folks!**


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